Life Begins Anew
by Hayley87
Summary: Vernon Dursley’s abuse towards Harry during the summer after fifth year causes a sequence of events that no one could have predicted. Includes Lily’s diary, a strange necklace, and a new relationship with Snape. No slash. Ignores books 6 and 7.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This will be for the whole story. I own nothing Harry Potter related.

A/N: I have some idea of where this story is going, but I'm not one hundered percent sure. If you like the beginning of this story and are interested in hearing more, please leave me a review and let me know if I should continue. Updates to the story will not be regular as college will be taking precedence over writing.

-O-O-O-O-O

The summer after fifth year was turning out to be one of the worst summers that Harry had ever endured. When Vernon Dursley had picked Harry up at the train station, he had thrown Harry's belongings into the trunk of the car before ordering Harry to get into the backseat. Harry was barely paying attention to his uncle's words. His mind was constantly turned towards Sirius, the prophecy, and the adventure at the Ministry. Since Harry was staring blankly ahead through the windshield, he didn't notice as Vernon kept throwing glares at him through the rearview mirror.

Harry kept blaming himself for Sirius's death. He knew that his friends and some of his professors would tell him that it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help thinking that he shouldn't have gone to the Ministry that night. Harry knew that Ron and Hermione would be worried about him this summer and would constantly be writing to him; he hoped that he would be able to convince them that he was okay without having to reveal his true feelings.

Harry was also aware that the Order would probably be watching him very closely. They had followed him around last summer, but they would watch him like a hawk this summer since Voldemort would probably be more active. Plus, some of them would be concerned about his emotional state now that Sirius was dead.

Upon reaching 4 Privet Drive, Vernon stalked towards the front door while yelling over his shoulder for Harry to hurry up and get into the house with his things. Harry wordlessly grabbed his belongings and struggled not to drop them on his way into the house. He had to drag his trunk the last few feet up to the door while trying not to jostle Hedwig too much. His owl had awoken moments ago and hooted indignantly after Harry had almost lost his grip on the cage.

Once Harry was inside of the house, he quietly closed the front door and then began his trek up the stairs to his bedroom. Harry had only gone up four steps before his uncle grabbed the back of his shirt and threw him down onto the floor. The pain as Harry landed pulled him out of the daze that he had been in since getting into the car. Shocked, he looked up at his uncle's livid face. Uncle Vernon had never really been physical with him in the past, but apparently something had driven him into getting rough.

Vernon reached down and hauled Harry into a standing position before slamming him into the wall. Harry's eyes moved back and forth for a few moments wondering where his aunt and cousin could be during all of this.

Vernon viciously punched Harry in the stomach and then smirked as Harry gasped in pain while clutching his abdomen. His uncle didn't give him much time to rest before he rammed a meaty fist into the side of Harry's face. Harry removed one arm from his stomach and threw it over his head, trying to protect himself.

"Please, Uncle Vernon," Harry pleaded. "Stop. Why are you doing this to me?"

The smirk disappeared from Vernon's face, and he turned bright red. "WHY? WHY? I think the question should be 'Why didn't I do this in the first place?' You have been nothing but trouble since we took you in. You blew up my sister, you cost me the Masons as potential clients, and you set a python on Dudley. You brought some sort of demons here last summer that hurt my son, and now those freaks at the train station dare to threaten me."

During Vernon's speech, Harry's uncle continued to punch and kick his nephew. Harry tried to defend himself, but his uncle was stronger and bigger than he was. Harry prayed that this would all be over soon; he didn't know how much more he could take.

"Uncle Vernon, I'm sorry," Harry moaned. "I didn't mean for some of those things to happen. It was accidental magic that-"

Upon hearing the word magic, Vernon's assault increased in strength. "I never want to hear that word in this house ever again. You are abnormal, boy. You are nothing special. If it were my choice, you would be tossed out on the street to live. Unfortunately, Petunia, for some reason, allows you to continue to live here."

Once Vernon was done beating Harry, Harry lay on the floor sobbing. Vernon looked down on his body with disgust. "You will behave while you are staying here, and you will do whatever chores we assign. Whenever you write to _those people_, you will not tell them what has happened today or what may happen any day in the future. Do you understand?"

Harry looked up at his uncle with fury in his eyes. "Don't worry, Uncle Vernon. I won't say anything to them."

"Good. I dropped Petunia and Dudley off at the mall before I picked you up at the train station, so I will be leaving soon to pick them back up. You are to go to your room now and stay there for the rest of the day. I want you to get your clothes out of your trunk, and then you are to put the trunk, with all of your freaky things, in the cupboard under the stairs."

Harry muttered a 'yes, sir' before gingerly sitting up and trudging over to his trunk. His body ached terribly, but he bit his lip in order to keep from crying out. Harry hadn't been able to stop himself from crying during the beating; however, he was not going to give his uncle the satisfaction of seeing him in pain now. Once he reached his trunk, Harry strategically placed himself in front of it so that his uncle could not see exactly what he took out. Within the layers of clothing he pulled out, Harry buried his wand, his photo album, and some food that he had bought on the train.

Reluctantly, Harry handed his trunk over to his uncle. Vernon shoved the trunk inside the cupboard before slamming the door and locking it. Harry flinched when his uncle suddenly turned back towards him. Vernon smirked at Harry's reaction, but he only waved his meaty hand towards the stairs. Harry took the hint and began slowly climbing the steps while tightly clutching the handrail.

Not long after reaching the top of the stairs, Harry found himself shoved into his bedroom with the door swinging shut behind him. He heard the key turn in the lock, and then his uncle's heavy footsteps pounded back down the stairs. Wearily, Harry picked himself off of the floor before easing his sore body onto the thin mattress. Before he could fall into a restless sleep, however, he realized that he still needed to hide his album, food, and wand. Those items were still hidden among his clothes, and he did not want his uncle to discover that he had disobeyed him. Harry gave a loud groan, yet he pushed his body up. It took a few minutes in order to gather the items and hide them under the loose floorboard. Once that was taken care of, Harry sank back onto the bed and allowed his tired eyes to close.

-O-O-O-O-O

Harry never did hear his relatives come back, and they didn't bother to wake him for supper. During the night, Harry faced several nightmares where Sirius blamed him for his death. Harry tried to apologize to Sirius, but his godfather only glared at him before walking away. When he tried to follow Sirius and explain everything, Sirius sped up and disappeared from Harry's sight. Harry dejectedly wandered around calling his godfather's name; however, he only heard his own voice echo back to him. When a body started to materialize in front of him, Harry eagerly ran towards the person. Once the person was recognizable, however, Harry came to an abrupt halt. Vernon wickedly grinned at him before raising a hand to strike.

A loud knocking woke Harry up from his dream. He distantly realized that his aunt was yelling at him to get up and cook breakfast, but Harry was too busy trying to calm his racing heart. His body was drenched with sweat, and the details of the dream kept circling in his mind.

"If you're not out here in five minutes, I'm going to get Vernon," Petunia threatened.

Harry's head whipped around to face the door. "I'm awake, Aunt Petunia. I'll be downstairs in a second."

Hurriedly throwing on some of Dudley's hand-me-downs, Harry got dressed in record time. He pushed himself to get ready quickly even though his body was still in pain from the day before: Harry didn't want to make his uncle angry again.

Once downstairs, Harry headed into the kitchen. His aunt was setting the table with plates and napkins. Harry hesitated before walking all the way into the room.

"Morning, Aunt Petunia," Harry quietly said. "What would you like me to make for breakfast?"

"It's about time that you got down here, boy. Dudley is still on his diet, so everyone is going to get one piece of toast without butter and a glass of orange juice."

Harry nodded to his aunt before getting out the loaf of bread and some glasses. Harry bitterly wondered why his aunt couldn't fix a few pieces of toast herself since she had already been down here, but he wasn't about to voice his opinion. After setting everything on the table, Harry sat in his chair and waited for the rest of his family to come down.

Dudley and Vernon could be loudly heard using the stairs. Once Dudley had entered the kitchen, he stopped in the doorway upon seeing Harry's face. Harry had briefly glanced in the mirror before leaving his bedroom that morning, so he guessed that his cousin was smirking about the bruise that was visible close to his temple.

"Dudley, what's going on?" Vernon asked from behind his son. "Breakfast is ready for us to eat. Keep going into the kitchen, son."

Plopping down into a chair opposite Harry, Dudley continued to sneer at him. Dudley had apparently realized what had caused the bruise on his face. Vernon ignored Harry until the end of the meal when Harry began to clean up the table.

Squeezing a hand over Harry's wrist, Vernon began to speak. "There is a list of chores by the refrigerator that I want done by the time I come home. If they aren't done, there will be hell to pay. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Harry sarcastically answered.

Vernon squeezed harder causing Harry to wince. "If you don't want a repeat of last night, I suggest you shape up."

Once Vernon let go, Harry began rubbing his wrist as he walked over to pick up the list. Dudley snickered at Harry's pain before leaving the house in order to terrorize the neighborhood with his friends.

Vernon gave Petunia a quick peck on the cheek, shot Harry one last warning glare, and then left for work. Harry's aunt left the kitchen soon after without even paying any attention to Harry. He guessed that she was just going to ignore the fact that her husband had been beating him last night and the fact that Vernon had even threatened to do it again.

Looking at the list, Harry sighed at all of the things that he was going to have to accomplish that day. He hoped that he would be able to finish them despite his pain. Harry knew that he didn't have any time to waste, so he decided to start by vacuuming upstairs. He had been in too big of a hurry that morning to grab his wand, but he figured that he could pocket it while he was cleaning the upstairs. Harry didn't expect that he would need to use it while at his relative's house; however, he knew that it was always better to be prepared.

After vacuuming the whole house along with dusting the furniture and washing the windows, Harry went outside to weed the front and back garden. The sun beat down hotly on his weary body. Normally Harry would have taken off his shirt in order to cool himself off a bit, but his body was littered with bruises. He didn't want to risk anyone seeing them.

When Harry had told his uncle the night before that he wouldn't tell anyone about the beating, he had been telling the truth. Part of him felt that he deserved the abuse because of Sirius's death, while another part of him felt ashamed and embarrassed about telling anyone what was happening. He hoped that he could survive this summer without angering his uncle too much, but he knew that his uncle wouldn't always need a reason to beat him. Harry was thankful that he only had one more summer until he would turn seventeen. At least he would be able to leave the Dursley's house after that.

Relieved when he finished the front garden, Harry decided to take a quick break for lunch before starting on the back garden. When Harry trudged in for lunch with dirt and sweat streaked on his skin, Petunia grimaced at his filthy state.

"Do not get anything in this house dirty, or you will have to clean it again," she stated. She forced a plate, which was only filled with a dry cheese sandwich, and a glass of tepid water into his hands.

Harry took his meal out on the back porch in order to eat it. He had no desire to clean the kitchen again. Since Harry had only had a piece of bread that morning and nothing for supper the night before, he quickly wolfed down his simple meal. Even though he was still hungry, he knew that he would have to ration the food that was up in his room. Harry never knew when his relatives would decide to starve him.

Setting the plate and glass on the porch, Harry started to weed the back garden. Because this garden was not seen by as many people as the front garden, it wasn't as well maintained and was going to require a lot more work. While Harry was away at school, the Dursleys probably hired someone to take care of the yard. They certainly wouldn't do any of the hard work around the house themselves. Harry bet that the Dursleys got rid of the gardener a few weeks before he came back from school just so he would have a lot more work to do.

When Harry was halfway through the gardening, the sound of a twig snapping drew his attention to something behind him. He quickly whirled around and put his hand down by his wand without drawing it. Harry was startled to see Remus standing beside him.

Remus laughed at the look on Harry's face before drawing him into a hug. "Hello, Harry."

"Hi, Remus. What are you doing here?" Harry replied.

"The Order is still going to be watching you this summer, but unlike last summer, Albus is going to allow us to talk to you every now and then. We still want you to write letters to us, however, especially if you have a vision."

Remus pushed Harry away a little bit in order to get a good look at him. He kept his hands on Harry's shoulders as he intently looked Harry over. Harry wanted to squirm under his gaze, but he forced himself to be steady. Harry held his breath waiting to see if Remus would comment on the bruise on his face.

"How are you doing, Harry?" Remus asked seriously. "I know that it's going to be tough on you losing Sirius, but I'm willing to talk to you anytime that you need me. You are always welcome to use Hedwig to reach me."

Harry tried to discreetly let out the breath that he had been holding in. Apparently his hair was hiding the bruise. He would have to be careful so that Remus wouldn't find out.

"I really miss him, Remus. I had a nightmare about him last night. I guess that it will be a while before I can really get over this."

"I understand, Harry. Sirius was one of my best friends. He was one of the last _true_ Marauders. I miss him too. Do you want to tell me about your nightmare?"

"Not right now. I'm sorry, but I don't really want to talk about what happened with Sirius right now. It's too soon for me," Harry answered with tears beginning to come to his eyes.

Remus rubbed his shoulders comfortingly. "All right, Harry. Just know that I'm not the only one that you can turn to. Your friends would be glad to help. Now, how are the Dursleys treating you?"

Harry looked Remus in the eye when he replied. "They're just like usual. I only have a few chores to do everyday."

"Do you want me to talk to them again? I don't want them to be horrible to you like they have been in the past."

"No!" Harry forcefully said. He toned down his answer when Remus shot him a startled look at his response. "I mean, no thank you. The Dursleys mostly ignore me, and I don't really mind doing a few chores. They get my mind off of everything that has happened lately, and it gives me something to do."

Remus nodded sympathetically. "If you're sure, Harry, but promise me that you will tell me if they get too out of hand."

"I will, Remus," Harry lied.

"Okay, I need to get back on duty now. Someone else will be here soon to take my place. I will talk to you again later. Bye, Harry."

"Bye, Remus," Harry gloomily answered as Remus disappeared from sight.

Harry walked back over to the garden and began to finish weeding. He was glad that he would be able to talk to members of the Order every once in a while, but he was going to have to be mindful of any injuries that he was sporting. Some Order members were more perceptive than others. Harry did not want anyone to know what was really going on inside 4 Privet Drive.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews that I received. Please continue to review the story.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

The next few days were surprisingly calm. Harry was able to get all of his chores done on time, and his uncle hadn't beaten him anymore. Harry's body was slowly healing, and the bruises were turning a light yellow. He had not seen another Order member since Remus, so he suspected that someone would be showing up soon.

After waking up and getting dressed, Harry made his way downstairs to fix breakfast. His aunt had taped a schedule of meals on the fridge so that Harry would know what needed to be prepared and when. Once he had checked the list, Harry grabbed an apple and an orange from a drawer in the fridge. Everyone would get a quarter of each fruit for breakfast with a small glass of milk.

Harry was cutting up the orange when Dudley walked through the door. Dudley purposely bumped into Harry while on his way to the table. The sharp knife slipped off of the orange and sliced part of Harry's finger. Harry hissed breath in through his teeth as he quickly wrapped his hand around the injury and rushed to the sink. As he ran cold water over the cut, Harry noticed that the cut wasn't deep enough to require stitches, yet he would need something to keep it from bleeding.

Dudley plopped down on one of the chairs, which sagged under his weight. "Pay more attention to where I'm walking, Potter."

Harry grabbed a paper towel from beside the sink, folded it several times, and then pushed it against the cut. He whirled around to say something scathing to Dudley, but his words got stuck in his throat as Vernon wandered in the room. Vernon's face rapidly grew angry when he saw the blood that was splattered on the counter and floor.

Backing away from his uncle, Harry tried to explain what had happened. Vernon didn't want to hear any excuses as he backhanded Harry across the face. He proceeded to punch Harry a couple of times on his chest and stomach before stopping.

"I don't care what happened in here, but you will clean it up immediately. Once you are done with that, I want you to start on your chores. No breakfast for you today. If you work hard, I'll allow Petunia to let you have some lunch. Now, clean this mess up."

"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Harry whispered.

Harry grabbed a sponge, a pail of water, and a towel. He was only able to clean up the blood with one hand as he carefully kept the paper towel over his wounded finger. Petunia weaved around Harry as he kneeled on the floor, and she finished preparing the meal. She had come into the kitchen just in time to see Harry getting beaten, but she hadn't done or said anything to stop her husband. After Petunia placed the food on the table, everyone except Harry dug in.

'If Uncle Vernon got pissed off at me just because of a small mess, I don't want to know what the rest of this summer will be like,' Harry thought. It seemed like the old days where his relatives would just use insults to hurt him were gone. His body had just about healed from the last time that his uncle had hit him, but now his body was going to be experiencing new aches and pains.

Once Harry had finished wiping up the blood, he swiped the chores list up from the counter and stored it in his jeans pocket. He quietly inched his way out of the room before heading up the stairs. Harry went into the bathroom first in order to put a bandage on his cut. It took a few moments of rooting in the cabinet to find a bandage, but once he had affixed it on his finger, he knew that he had better start his chores for the day. Harry decided to start upstairs until Vernon and Dudley were gone. Dudley's room always took a long time to clean up anyway despite the fact that he had to straighten everything up in there almost everyday.

While Harry worked, his thoughts turned towards his friends. He had not had the time to write to them yet, but he knew that they would be expecting to hear from him soon. He also knew that the Order would want a report from him within the next day or two. Harry was grateful that he hadn't experienced a vision since school had ended. Since he didn't know how to perform Occlumency, he hoped that Voldemort wouldn't be very active this summer.

Harry hoped that Dumbledore wouldn't expect him to take up Occlumency lessons with Snape again when school started. He wouldn't mind having lessons with Dumbledore, but the Headmaster would probably be too busy to have the time to teach him anything. Because Voldemort was aware of the strong connection that the two of them shared, _something_ would have to be done. Harry did not want to ever be fooled by another false vision.

After finishing the upstairs, Harry decided to mow the lawn and get it out of the way. While cutting the grass in the backyard, Harry heard a low popping noise. He turned off the machine before looking over at his visitor. Smiling, Tonks walked over to Harry and enfolded him in a brief hug. Harry winced as Tonks pushed against a few of his injuries, but he quickly schooled his face into a look of happiness once Tonks drew away from him.

"It is good to see you, Harry."

"Same here, Tonks. How have things been in the wizarding world?" Harry inquired as they moved over to the porch to sit down. Harry hoped that his aunt wouldn't find the absence of the mower's noise to be strange and come outside to see what was going on.

"The Ministry has publicly recognized that You-Know-Who has actually returned. The newspapers are all writing positive things about you now. They are quick to forget how soon they all turned against you last year," answered Tonks disgustedly.

"Does anyone know what Voldemort has been up to?" Harry asked, ignoring the way Tonks shuddered upon hearing Voldemort's name.

"So far, he hasn't done anything. Severus has attended a couple of Death Eater meetings since You-Know-Who's defeat at the Ministry of Magic," Tonks said. She paused when she realized that she had just mentioned the Ministry, where Sirius had died, to Harry.

"How are you holding up?" Tonks asked.

Harry internally groaned at her question. He knew that people were worried about him, but he hated it when they were always asking him how he felt.

"I'm okay," Harry replied.

Tonks looked like she didn't believe him. She started to say something else, but her attention was diverted to a different topic.

"How did you hurt your finger, Harry?" Tonks questioned.

"Oh, that. I accidentally cut myself while I was fixing breakfast this morning," Harry nonchalantly answered. His reply was technically true; he only left out the part where Dudley had pushed him.

Tonks gave a small laugh. "I can definitely understand being clumsy. One time at Hogwarts, I accidentally tripped on my robes while in the Great Hall. I fell down on one of the tables, and some of the food wound up all over several Slytherins. That accident started one of the largest food fights in Hogwarts history."

Harry laughed along with Tonks as she continued to regale him with stories from her days at Hogwarts. Harry wanted to keep talking with Tonks, but he knew that Aunt Petunia might be wondering why the mower wasn't running anymore.

"I had better finish my chores, Tonks," Harry reluctantly said as he stood up from the porch. "I'll talk to you later."

"All right, Harry. Bye."

-0-0-0-0-0-0

When Uncle Vernon came home that day, he grabbed Harry by the scruff of the neck and dragged him upstairs. Once they reached Harry's bedroom, Vernon tossed Harry onto the chair by his desk.

"What was that for?" Harry asked while rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm going to stand here watching as you write a letter to those freaks," Vernon said with a slight warning in his tone. "I don't want them coming over here because they haven't heard from you. You will tell them that we are treating you well."

Harry took out his quill, ink, and parchment from the desk. He took a few moments before beginning to write a letter to the Order.

_Hello,_

_Everything is fine here at the Dursleys. I have been reading some of my school books and doing some of my homework. I haven't had any visions since school stopped. I hope that everything is okay in the wizarding world. I'll be keeping in touch._

_Harry_

"Go get your blasted owl and send that letter off immediately. I'll be in here every few days to watch you send another letter," Vernon said. He waited until Harry had complied with his orders before speaking again. "Stay in your room until you are called down to fix supper."

Once Vernon had left, Harry got out some more parchment to write letters to his friends. They had written him the day before, but Harry had been too busy that day to write them back. Both of his friends showed concern towards him, and Harry hoped that he could assuage those feelings.

Since Hermione's parents were away celebrating their wedding anniversary, Hermione was temporarily staying at the Weasley's house for a few days. Harry decided that it would be easier to send them just one letter instead of writing a separate one for each of them.

_Ron and Hermione,_

_I hope that you have been having a good summer so far. It has been pretty boring here at the Dursley's house. Dudley has been causing a lot of trouble with his friends around the neighborhood, but my aunt and uncle don't realize what he does when he leaves the house._

_Ron, how have Fred and George been doing with they're joke shop? I bet that they've been getting a lot of business._

_Hermione, when will your parents be coming back from their anniversary? I bet that you and Ron have been having fun together. I wish that I could be there with you guys. Hopefully, the Order will let me leave here some time soon._

_Later, _

_Harry_

_P.S. I found out the other day that Dudley was kicked off of the boxing team because he wasn't getting along with the other members. He must have been angry about that because he wound up eating a lot of junk food and gaining his weight back. He has to lose the weight again, or the school is going to make Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia pay a lot more money for things like his school uniform. So, Dudley is back on his diet. Could you guys please send me some food like you did two summers ago? Thanks. _

Harry tried to keep the subject of the letter away from himself or his feelings. He knew that Hermione would probably not be fooled, but he was prepared to ward off her inquiries. It was true that Dudley had been dropped from the boxing team and forced to go back on his diet, but the diet wasn't the only reason that he wanted his friends to send food. He hadn't wanted to tell them, though, that the Dursleys would sometimes not feed him anything at all. After sending off the letter, he lay down on the bed and allowed his body to get some much needed rest before supper.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

During the next few days, Uncle Vernon would usually find some minor excuse to hit Harry around a bit. Apparently, Vernon was having some problems at work. Harry was quickly becoming his uncle's favorite stress reliever. Despite trying to avoid his uncle as much as possible, Harry discovered that Uncle Vernon wouldn't hesitate to seek him out.

Whenever Harry would go outside, he would do his best not to show any pain from his injuries. He tried to keep his hair over any cuts or bruises that showed up on his face, and he would walk slower than normal so that his body wouldn't protest from any quick movements.

Upon hearing a noise behind him, Harry knew to expect another Order member. He carefully turned around and prepared himself for the visitor. Shock displayed on his face when he realized that Professor McGonagall was standing in his backyard.

"Professor! What are you doing here?" Harry questioned. He cringed inwardly when he realized that he sounded a little rude.

"I'm your guard at the moment, Potter," McGonagall dryly answered. "I thought that you might want to take a break for a few moments. You may continue working if you don't wish to speak with me."

"I'm sorry, Professor. I was just surprised. I guess I just thought that you would have better things to do than stand guard over me. I would be glad to talk with you."

Harry allowed his professor to lead the way to the chairs settled on the porch. Once they had been seated, McGonagall looked Harry over.

"How have you been, Potter?"

Harry resisted rolling his eyes. That was the first question that everyone asked whenever they saw him.

"Good, Professor."

"There are circles under your eyes, Potter. It doesn't look like you've been sleeping very well," McGonagall commented.

"I have been suffering some nightmares, Professor," Harry admitted, "but I'm dealing with it all right." Harry neglected to mention the guilt that he continued to feel. He didn't think that he would ever be able to admit that to anyone: they would never understand.

"I'm a little bit concerned about Transfiguration this coming year," Harry said, changing the topic. "Could you tell me a little bit about what we'll be doing in class?"

McGonagall gave Harry a detailed report about the Transfiguration curriculum for the sixth year students. She continued to talk about it until it was time for her to leave. Harry was grateful that his change in topic had taken his professor's concentration away from him. Harry hated to deceive his friends and teachers, but there were some things that he just couldn't tell them.

_-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

_Harry saw Sirius standing in front of the veil in the Department of Mysteries. Sirius was looking at something behind him, but Harry wasn't paying attention to that fact. He wanted to get Sirius to move away from the veil._

"_Sirius! Be careful! The veil is dangerous," Harry yelled._

_After trying to get Sirius to listen to him, he realized that his godfather continued to look over his shoulder. Harry turned around to see what had captured Sirius's attention. Seeing Voldemort caused Harry to jump. Harry didn't have time to say anything before Voldemort had raised his wand and used magic to push Sirius into the veil._

"_Sirius!" Harry screamed. He ran down to the veil and tried to look behind it. The veil continued to flutter as if in a breeze, but Harry was unable to move it. Hearing a cold chuckle, Harry glanced over at Voldemort again. He gasped when his gaze happened upon Ron._

"_Ron, run away. Voldemort will kill you if you stay…"_

_Harry was unable to finish his sentence as, once again, Voldemort raised his wand. A green light ran towards Ron and took the life from his body. As Ron fell towards the ground, Hermione came rushing forward from out of the shadows. Her body was quick to fall beside Ron's as Voldemort incanted another deadly spell._

_Once Voldemort had finished, he turned towards Harry. A small smile crossed his thin lips._

"_You can't defy me, Harry. I will take everyone that you love away from you."_

Harry jolted awake from his dream when Uncle Vernon threw him into a wall. He was disoriented for a few moments before he realized that he had just been having a bad dream. He struggled to get to his feet, but his ankle had twisted while underneath him. Uncle Vernon was quick to knock him back down.

"It's bad enough that I have to deal with you in the morning and evening, but now you disrupt my much needed sleep by making a lot of noise in the night," Vernon bellowed.

Harry tried to apologize for waking up his uncle, but Vernon wouldn't listen. He continued to beat Harry for several more minutes until he had exhausted himself. Vision beginning to turn black, Harry saw Vernon go over to the door and heard him lock it from the outside.

'It's going to be hard finishing my chores tomorrow' was Harry's last thought.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you for your reviews. I know that some of you are wondering why Harry is allowing Vernon to abuse him without telling anyone. I will explain Harry's reasoning in later chapters; it's more than just guilt. I was wondering if anyone could help me. I received all of the reviews for chapter 2, but the reviews aren't showing up on fanfiction when I click on the reviews for the story. Is there any way that I can get them to show up?

-0-0-0-0-0-0

Upon waking from unconsciousness, Harry gave a loud groan at the pain that wracked his body. Fresh bruises littered his flesh, and his ankle was swollen. Grabbing the edge of his desk, Harry heaved himself up from the floor while testing his weight on his sore ankle. Pain flared up his leg once his foot fully rested on the floor. Harry didn't know if he would be able to walk, but he knew that if he didn't leave his room to do his chores, his uncle would gladly descend upon him once again.

Hobbling over to his dresser, Harry seized some fresh clothes. Since it was summer, Harry knew that the long sleeved shirt that he wore would look strange to others, but it was the only way that he could hide his bruises on his arms.

Once he had finished dressing, the door to his room was unlocked and then opened. His uncle's bulky frame filled the doorway. Vernon's ugly face sported a glare as he stared at his nephew.

"Get breakfast ready in ten minutes," Vernon barked.

Harry nodded in reply but waited until his uncle had gone back to his own bedroom. Limping over to the stairs, Harry stared at his first big obstacle. Walking was hard enough for him, but traversing the stairs was going to be even worse. Clinging strongly to the rails, Harry stepped down with his good foot first. Cautiously touching his injured foot on the first step, Harry gasped as more pain was sent through his body. Gritting his teeth, Harry continued to slowly move down the staircase and towards the kitchen.

After Harry reached the kitchen, he took a quick glance at the meal schedule before collecting his supplies. He gathered as many items into his arms as he could hold at once, trying to make as few trips around the kitchen as possible. The food was barely on the table for a few seconds before everyone came in to eat.

Harry ignored the sneers and glares that his family sent his way. Even though he didn't have a lot to eat for breakfast, the food settled heavily on his stomach. He hadn't had a lot of food to eat in the last few days, and his injuries were causing him not to be very hungry.

Harry cleaned up the kitchen once everyone's plates were empty. He was standing at the sink washing the dishes when a shadow appeared on the wall. Tensing his body, Harry turned towards his uncle.

"You better behave if you don't want to be punished again. I don't ever want a repeat of last night. Because you disturbed my sleep last night, my work might be affected today. For your sake, you better hope that it isn't," Vernon threatened with a glint in his eye.

"Yes, sir," Harry muttered. He wondered what his uncle expected him to do. He couldn't control his nightmares, and he couldn't help crying out in his sleep.

After staring darkly at Harry for a few moments, Vernon abruptly turned and stalked away. Harry briefly narrowed his eyes angrily at his uncle's retreating back. As the days of the summer were going by, his uncle was getting more and more unreasonable.

Harry's face fell when he realized that pruning the bushes was one of the chores that he would have to complete that day. He could usually hide his injuries pretty well, but his limp was very pronounced. Hiding the limp would be impossible. His guard would definitely notice, and they might even ask him about it. Harry didn't know what explanation he could give.

Trying to put off going outside as long as possible, Harry gradually finished all of his inside chores. Knowing that he couldn't put it off any more, he slowly made his way to the shed in the backyard. Harry attempted to keep the pain off of his face, but he wasn't sure that he was always successful. After retrieving the pruning shears, Harry made his way over to the bushes. He tried to do the job as quickly as possible without aggravating his injuries.

When Harry felt a tap on his shoulder, he whirled around and lost his balance. He fell backwards into a freshly pruned bush which caused the dull ache in his ankle to renew in intensity. A startled and pained cry escaped Harry's lips. He hadn't heard anyone come up behind him.

A familiar voice spoke to him. "Potter, you are going to get up out of that bush, and then we are going to talk."

Harry's racing heart started slowing down when he realized that Professor Snape was the one who had touched him; however, talking with Snape was never a pleasant experience. Harry knew that the man had probably noticed the limp and his pain. Snape would be a hard man to fool.

Snape turned around and marched over to the porch without even waiting for Harry to get up. Harry struggled to extricate himself from the bush, and he finally succeeded after a few tough moments. After brushing some leaves and twigs out of his hair and clothes, Harry limped over to his teacher.

Plopping into a chair, Harry nervously looked over at Snape. He kept his voice steady as he asked, "What did you want to talk about, Professor?"

Snape stared at him silently for a few moments. Harry tried to maintain eye contact, but he quickly lost the battle of wills and had to look away.

"I think you know what I want to talk about, Potter," Snape finally answered.

"I'm afraid I don't, sir," Harry calmly said.

Snape's eyes narrowed, and he leaned slightly towards Harry. "Don't lie to me, Potter. I have eyes. You kept grimacing when you moved, and you were walking with a limp."

Harry flinched slightly at Snape's raised tone, but he didn't show any other reaction to the accusations. "I fell down the stairs yesterday. I wasn't paying much attention, and I slipped on one of the steps. Quite clumsy of me really."

Upon seeing his professor's disbelief, Harry hurriedly held up his finger. "This is where I accidentally cut myself the other day. Ever since Sirius died, I've been having a hard time concentrating."

Harry glanced up at Snape through his fringe. Snape was slowly shaking his head back and forth while continuing to stare at Harry.

"You may be able to fool those idiot friends of yours in the Order, Potter, but you can't fool me. I have been a teacher and the Head of Slytherin for a long time, and I have seen many cases of abuse."

Harry stood up and began to stalk away at hearing those words; the effect was ruined, however, by the pronounced limp. Snape was quickly able to catch up to him and grab his shoulder.

"We aren't finished talking," Snape said quietly.

With his back still facing Snape, Harry responded. "I have to finish my chores. You may leave if you want to. I'm sure that you have other things to do."

"I am definitely not going to leave you here with these people. They clearly can't take care of you properly," answered Snape as he turned Harry around in order to look him in the face. "We are going to go inside and gather your belongings. Once that is finished, you will be accompanying me to Hogwarts."

Harry started to reply, but he stopped upon receiving a warning glare from Snape. Giving a brief nod of his head, Harry stepped away from his professor and started walking towards the house. He could hear Snape closely following behind him as he opened the back door and entered the house.

Petunia was sitting in the living room watching the television and casually flipping through magazines. She glanced up when she heard a door open. Eyes widening when she noticed a man in black robes entering her house, she quickly stood up and backed away from the wizard. The man motioned for her nephew to continue going up the stairs, yet he remained standing in the doorway after Harry had started towards his bedroom.

"What are you doing here? Your kind isn't welcome…" Petunia screeched. She would have continued talking if Snape hadn't interrupted her.

"Mrs. Dursley, cease your shrieking this moment. You and your family have been treating Potter in a horrible manner, and he will not be coming back here. I will be taking him with me when I leave."

Petunia was relieved that Harry would be leaving their life forever, but she knew that there would probably be repercussions for what her husband had done to him. She was aware that Harry was famous in the wizarding world; however, she didn't think that Vernon fully comprehended that fact.

"I don't know what will be happening to your family, but the wizarding world will not allow this to go unpunished. Rest assured, someone will be coming here soon to deal with all of you."

After saying all that he felt needed to be said, Snape walked up the stairs and entered Harry's bedroom. Harry was slowly wandering around his room picking up items and laying them on top of his bed. Since his trunk was still locked in the cupboard under the stairs, Harry would need Snape to get it out using magic. Harry winced every time that he had to bend down and grab something; his ribs and ankle were causing a lot of pain.

When Snape walked in the room and saw Harry pushing himself to finish gathering all of his belongings, he used his wand to make the job easier. All of Harry's things zoomed out of their hiding places and stacked themselves neatly on the bed.

"Thanks," Harry said while avoiding eye contact.

Ignoring Harry's embarrassment, Snape briskly answered, "Where is your trunk, Potter?"

"Uncle Vernon locked it in the cupboard under the stairs," replied Harry.

Without saying another word, Snape whirled around, cloak flapping behind him, and went back down the stairs. Harry stared confusedly after him for a few moments. He never would have believed that Snape would be the one to save him from his relatives. Snape hated him and insulted him.

The trunk floating into the room preceded his teacher's arrival. Harry started to pick up his clothes from the bed, but Snape had already used more magic to pack everything inside of the trunk.

Curious, Harry asked, "How are we going to get to Hogwarts, Professor?"

"We have to get outside of the wards around your house first, and then we will Apparate to a point near Hogwarts. It won't be a long walk after that."

Harry followed Snape down the stairs as Snape used his wand to float the trunk. Snape opened the front door and allowed the trunk to rest on the floor. Petunia was standing in the doorway of the living room with her arms folded over her chest. Harry stared at his aunt for a few moments, but he remained quiet before going over to his trunk and lifting one end of it. Snape grabbed the other end of it before walking out the front door and going down the street.

Kids ran around the neighborhood yelling and playing with their friends, but they hardly spared a glance at the two figures wandering down the street. Harry had a lot of questions that he wanted to ask his teacher, but he didn't think that Snape would appreciate being bombarded with inquiries. Both of them remained silent until they reached an alley between a small bookstore and a pharmacy. Snape stopped and glanced surreptitiously around the town before walking casually into the alleyway.

Once they had reached the back of the alley, Snape gestured for Harry to set his end of the trunk down. Harry quickly complied before moving over to Snape's side. Maintaining his grip on the trunk, Snape also put a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Brace yourself," Snape warned before Disapparating.

Harry had never Apparated before, and he discovered that he didn't care for the sensation very much. His feet slammed into the ground causing his injured ankle to give way. As Harry started to fall, he felt strong arms grab him and gently lower him into a sitting position.

"We'll rest here for a few moments before we take off," Snape said.

Grateful for the reprieve from walking for a few minutes, Harry allowed himself to catch his breath. Snape was standing still with his wand by his side as his eyes constantly scanned the area for danger.

After resting for a while, Harry struggled to stand up. "I'm ready to go."

Snape nodded in reply and waved his wand at the trunk. Hovering the trunk in front of them, Harry and Snape took off at a slow pace towards Hogwarts. Harry was having a hard time continuing because of all the walking his injured ankle had been through that day, but Harry pushed himself to keep going. He didn't want Snape to think of him as weak.

Upon seeing the gates of Hogwarts, Harry was immensely relieved. Even though he still had to cross the grounds and climb several flights of stairs, he was still very close to their final destination. Snape had slowed down and matched Harry's pace whenever Harry needed it, but Snape never made any negative comments towards him.

While traversing the halls of Hogwarts, Harry and Snape did not meet anyone. Harry thought that it was rather strange for the school to be so quiet. Normally ghosts, students, and professors were around making a lot of noise. Even during the nights when he would sneak around under the Invisibility Cloak, there always seemed to be some sort of sound.

They finally reached the Hospital Wing, and Harry exhaustedly allowed himself to flop on top of one of the beds. He closed his eyes and relaxed against the soft mattress and pillows.

"I'm going to go get Madame Pomfrey. I'll be back in a moment," Snape said.

Harry sleepily murmured a sound of agreement. He hoped that Madame Pomfrey wouldn't take a long time to examine him. The only thing that he wanted to do at the present moment was to sleep. He didn't want to answer anyone's questions until later.

A clicking noise caused Harry's drift into sleep to come to a halt. He blearily opened his eyes and noticed that Madame Pomfrey was leaning over the bed staring at him. Professor Snape was standing at the end of the bed with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you in here during the summer, Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey exclaimed. Noticing that Harry was about to succumb to sleep, she quickly drew out her wand and began to run it over his body. A frown formed on her face as the exam continued. Once she had finished, she stepped backwards from Harry's bed and began to gather different colored vials of potions.

"Well?" Snape questioned.

"What in the world happened to him?" Pomfrey quietly asked. She glanced over at Harry and saw that he had finally fallen asleep.

"Apparently, his relatives were abusing him. Whenever I asked him about it, however, he denied that it had ever happened. He made up some lame excuse about falling down the stairs," Snape replied. "I'm sure that Albus will want to discuss all of this with him tomorrow."

Pomfrey pursed her lips in anger and jerkily finished grabbing all of the potions that Harry would need. "I can't believe that someone would do that to that poor boy. He's had enough problems in his life. What's going to happen with him now?"

Snape shook his head. "I haven't even told Albus yet that I removed him from the Dursley's house. After I leave here, I will go meet with Albus and inform him of all that has happened today. Now, what is Potter's diagnosis?"

"He has a sprained ankle, and his ribs are bruised. He also had several bruises all over his body. Mr. Potter is lucky that you took him out of there when you did. His situation would probably just have continued to get worse," Pomfrey responded as she moved back over to Harry's bedside.

Gently shaking Harry's shoulder, Pomfrey tried to wake him up. Harry slowly opened his eyes and looked confusedly at the healer. "I'm sorry to wake you up, dear, but you really need to drink these potions right away. Your injuries have gone unhealed long enough. Once you finish drinking these potions for your injuries, I'll give you some Dreamless Sleep, okay?"

Harry nodded and brought his hand up to receive the first vial. He tried to swallow all of the potions as quickly as he could so that he wouldn't gag over any of the vile concoctions. He couldn't ever remember having a potion that tasted good. When he saw the bottle of Dreamless Sleep, Harry let out a sigh of relief. He was tired of having nightmares about Sirius, and he knew that he needed a good night's rest.

After Harry was deeply asleep, Madame Pomfrey tenderly pulled the sheets up to his chin. She gazed sadly at him for a few moments before wandering back to her office.

Snape continued to stand beside Harry's bed for several more minutes. He still didn't like Potter, but he knew that he would have to reevaluate everything that he had thought about him. Looking at Potter now, he just saw an innocent, vulnerable child. Disgusted with himself for continuing to stand in the Hospital Wing, Snape stormed out of the room.


	4. Chapter 4

An insistent knocking caused Dumbledore to look up from the paperwork that he was studying at his desk. "Come in."

Snape strode in and took a seat in a chair in front of the Headmaster's desk. He was slightly uncomfortable with the information that he was going to have to deliver.

"Ah, Severus. What can I do for you?" asked Dumbledore with a smile on his face.

Snape shifted in his chair before beginning to speak. "I uncovered some unfortunate information while I was on duty guarding Potter."

At the mention of Harry's name, Dumbledore sat up straighter and strengthened his focus on the conversation. Snape smirked briefly at the sudden change in the elder wizard, but he quickly became more serious upon remembering the news that he had to share.

"Is Harry alright? Is something wrong with the wards?" Dumbledore worriedly inquired.

"Potter's family has been physically abusing him, Albus."

Upon hearing those words, the Headmaster gasped and wearily closed his eyes. He had known that Harry's life at the Dursley's house had been difficult growing up, but he had not realized the true extent of what Harry had gone through.

After swallowing the lump in his throat, Dumbeldore asked, "Where is he? How is he?"

Snape felt awkward witnessing the strong emotion coming from the Headmaster. He knew that Albus loved the boy and would probably feel somewhat guilty for what had happened to Potter.

"I was at the Dursley's house watching Potter as he came outside to prune the bushes. I noticed that he was grimacing, and he was limping with every step. He denied the abuse when I confronted him; however, I still brought him back here to Hogwarts. I just got back from dropping him off in the Hospital Wing. Poppy has given him some potions, and he is currently asleep."

"Did Poppy say if…" Dumbledore said before his words got stuck in his throat and he had to take a sip of water. "Was this the first time that this has occurred? Have the Durselys been physically abusing him all of these years and we just didn't realize it?"

The Headmaster looked aghast as the different possibilities circled through his mind. Dumbledore did not want to believe that Harry had been silently suffering through fourteen years of physical abuse, but he knew that Harry was sometimes reluctant to tell adults about his problems. He hoped that Harry would begin to trust adults more; however, if he had been suffering for all these years without any help, Harry would probably not be apt to trust anyone very easily.

Snape waited until Dumbledore had refocused his attention to the conversation. He could tell that the Headmaster had been distracted for a few moments. "She did not mention anything about past abuse, but she was rather upset at the time by what she did find. You may want to ask her later for more details about her findings. Poppy did say, though, that he had bruised ribs and a sprained ankle."

Dumbledore sighed loudly and leaned heavily back into his chair. Tiredly running a hand over his face, he looked older than he normally did.

"What are we going to do with the boy?" Snape finally questioned after giving the Headmaster some time to compose himself.

Dumbledore briefly hesitated before answering. "I'm not sure yet. I'll need some time tonight and tomorrow to think about it. When Harry wakes up tomorrow, I'll need to have a serious talk with him. I may want you to be there…"

Interrupting Dumbledore, Snape said, "Why would you want me there? I have done my duty by bringing the boy to you. The two of us do not get along. I don't see how I could be of any help. I admit that Potter isn't spoiled like I thought that he was, but I still don't like him."

"Please, Severus. You have had adequate experience dealing with abused children from your House. I would like you to at least attempt to have a civil conversation with Harry at some point in time, even if I'm not there."

Snape gave a reluctant sigh of acceptance. "As you wish, Albus."

Dumbledore gave a sad smile before responding. "Thank you. This means a lot to me. There is something else that I would like to mention before you talk to Harry. I don't know if he would like me to tell anyone, but I think that it could help you when you deal with him. When Harry first came here as a first year, the Sorting Hat wanted to put him in Slytherin."

Eyes widening slightly, Snape expressed genuine surprise at that statement. Dumbledore continued speaking without giving the Potions Master time to reply.

"Harry had been exposed to the prejudices against Slytherin before coming to Hogwarts, and he also learned that the man who killed his parents had been in that House. I don't think that young Mr. Malfoy helped endear him any towards Slytherin, either. He pleaded with the hat to put him in any House other than Slytherin. I do think that Gryffindor suits him better than Slytherin, however, and he does have wonderful friends in Gryffindor; I just thought that you should know that he is a very different person than you perceive him to be."

"I'll take that into consideration," Snape faintly answered.

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore repeated with some amusement. "Is there anything else that you needed to tell me?"

Snape mentally shook himself in order to gain a clearer head. He would later spend his time considering the idea of Potter almost being in Slytherin, but he needed to finish his report to the Headmaster.

"I had a meeting late last night with the Dark Lord. He is currently looking for some type of necklace. I overheard him telling a select group of Death Eaters about this piece of jewelry. He doesn't trust all of us, but I don't think that he suspects me of being the spy any more than he suspects some of the others. I didn't get to hear what this necklace does, what it looks like, or even why he wants it; however, he seems very intent upon finding this object."

"All right, Severus. The next time that he calls you, see if you can receive any more information about this necklace. If he wants it that badly, we must ensure that he does not receive it."

Snape nodded in agreement. "I understand. That is all that I have to report."

"It is getting late, Severus. You've had a long day, and I'm sure that you are ready to rest. I still have some things that I need to take care of tonight. I will see you tomorrow. Good night, Severus."

"Good night."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

As Snape wandered the halls while on the way to his rooms, his thoughts were turned towards the boy currently occupying the Hospital Wing. Usually he tried everything that he could in order to not think about Potter, but now he couldn't help himself.

When he had first arrived at the Dursley's house, he had expected to see Potter lounging around the house while his aunt doted on him and his cousin. He thought that Potter would be neglecting his homework in order to be lazy all summer. He hadn't wanted to take the job watching Potter, but everyone else was busy that day and the Headmaster had convinced him into guarding the boy.

Upon witnessing Potter inside the kitchen making breakfast, Snape was glad that his relatives were giving him some chores to do. After making breakfast, the boy had also done some other work around the house. At that time, he had been too far away to notice the limping or grimacing: they weren't visible until Potter had come outside.

Snape knew that sometimes members of the Order would reveal themselves to Potter and talk to him; however, he would rather face down a werewolf again than spend his free time talking to the boy. Those feelings had changed, though, once he had gotten a glimpse of Potter after the boy had walked outside.

His body had stiffened when he saw the abuse that the child had endured. He didn't care that this was Potter- a Gryffindor, the bane of his existence, the son of his hated enemy; he was going to help the boy and remove him from the situation. No one deserved to undergo any kind of abuse. Anger ran through his body when he realized that the abuse had probably been going on at least since summer at started. He couldn't believe that no one had noticed what was going on at the house.

Once he had confronted Potter with the truth, he expected the boy to admit the whole thing. He thought that the boy would whine and scream about the unfairness of what he had endured. He was very surprised when Potter had tried to deny that none of it had happened. Snape had dealt with many cases of abuse, and he knew that some children would deny the abuse when they were confronted with it, but he had never expected Potter to do the same thing. Snape now realized that even though the boy might be famous, he still showed some of the same signs of abuse as other children.

Snape knew that the Headmaster was correct in saying that he should talk to the boy, but the past between himself and the boy was still warring with his reasoning abilities. Potter had invaded his privacy by looking into his Pensieve. The brat had witnessed one of his worst memories, and he had probably blabbed the story to several of his idiotic friends.

Taking a deep breath, Snape reminded himself of the promise that he had made to the Headmaster concerning Potter. Even though he was still furious with the boy about the Pensieve incident, he would attempt to put aside those feelings for a moment and try to have a civil conversation with him.

Upon reaching his rooms, he gave the password and entered once the portrait had opened. Moving over to the couch, he settled down into the soft cushions. He leaned his head back, wearily closed his eyes, and allowed his thoughts about Potter to continue running through his head.

Hearing the Headmaster talk about Potter almost being in Slytherin had shaken many of his beliefs about the boy. He had mixed feelings about his thoughts towards Potter being in his House. The boy might have been able to bring a more positive image towards Slytherin, but then again, the public was quick to turn against him. He would have had to endure seeing Potter more than he usually did, but he would have had more control over Potter than he currently did.

Thinking about Potter being part Slytherin would probably help him tolerate Potter later when he had to talk to him. He could now see the cunning and sneakiness that Potter possessed, even though it was sometimes ruined by his reckless Gryffindor courage.

Snape finally had enough of thinking about Potter. He knew that he would need a good night's sleep if he was going to be able to handle the boy the next day. Walking over to his private stores, he took out a vial of potion that would help him relax and easily fall asleep. As he lay down upon his bed, he swallowed the potion and allowed his eyes to close.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

After the Potions Master had left his office, Dumbledore had stood up and walked over to Fawkes. He stroked the soft feathers of the phoenix while staring out of the window.

He hoped that Harry would forgive him for leaving him at the Dursley's house all those years ago. At the time, he had been more concerned with Harry's safety if Voldemort were to ever return. He had been correct in his beliefs that Voldemort would rise again, but he should have listened to Minerva when she wanted to have someone else raise the boy.

Dumbledore paused the petting of Fawkes long enough to write a short note. Once he had finished, he rolled up the parchment and turned back towards the phoenix.

"Will you please take this note to Minerva for me?"

Fawkes grabbed the note in his talons, gave a trill of agreement, and then flashed out of sight. McGonagall was currently staying at Hogwarts for a few more days. She was beginning some preparations for the next school year, but she would be leaving soon in order to take a vacation.

Dumbledore walked back over to the window and continued to stare blankly outside. He knew that the next few weeks would be very stressful. Too deeply in thought to hear the door open, he started slightly when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Turning around, he was greeted with the worried face of Professor McGonagall.

"You wanted to see me, Albus?" McGonagall questioned.

"Yes. Please sit down, Minerva," Dumbledore replied as he returned to the chair behind his desk.

McGonagall waited in silence for the Headmaster to speak, but she was clearly curious and apprehensive about what Dumbledore was going to say.

"I have just come across some disturbing information. Severus came here about an hour ago to tell me that something was wrong with Harry."

McGonagall looked startled at what the Headmaster had said. Of all of the things that she thought that Albus might have called her up to his office to tell her, she had not expected that it would be about Potter. She had thought that You-Know-Who might have attacked somewhere or that the Ministry was facing some new difficulty. Hearing about Potter caused her to look worriedly at Dumbledore.

"Albus, what is it? What's wrong with Potter?" McGonagall confusedly asked.

"Apparently Harry has been physically abused by his uncle since school started. Severus brought him here, and Harry is asleep in the Hospital Wing."

Shocked at Dumbledore's announcement, McGonagall quickly stood up. She wanted to go see the boy and make sure that he was all right. It had only been a few days ago that she had seen him, but she hadn't noticed that anything was wrong with him then besides trouble sleeping.

Dumbledore stood up as soon as he noticed that the Transfiguration professor was about to leave the room. "Please sit back down for a few more minutes. I have several more things to say, and I want to ask you some questions. You may go visit Harry in a little while."

Turning away from the door, McGonagall returned to her seat. She was visibly upset with the situation. Even though she tried not to show favoritism towards her students, Potter was one of her students that she had a soft spot for. She was proud of the things that he had accomplished, and she thought that he was a very likeable child.

"When you visited him the other day, what did you notice about him?" Dumbledore questioned.

McGonagall shook her head. "I saw that he had circles under his eyes, but he didn't show any sort of pain from any injuries. Now that I think about it, he diverted my attention away from himself and asked me questions about my class. Why wouldn't he tell anyone if his uncle was hurting him?"

"I don't know, Minerva. I'm going to have a talk with him tomorrow," answered Dumbledore.

"I want to talk to him also."

"That will be fine. I'm also getting Severus to have a conversation with Harry at some point. Just the two of them."

McGonagall's eyes widened in astonishment. "Do you think that it is wise to force the two of them to talk?"

Dumbledore gave a smile to his Deputy Headmistress. "I know that they have not gotten along in the past, but I'm hoping that this will give each of them a chance to see another side of each other. Severus has had experience with abused children, so he might know how to deal with Harry more than you or I would."

Grudgingly accepting his reasoning, McGonagall continued talking, "How is Potter, Albus?"

"Harry is doing all right now. Poppy has fixed his bruised ribs and sprained ankle," Dumbledore replied. "There are some things that I need to finish working on tonight before I speak to Harry in the morning. You may come with me tomorrow to talk to him if you wish to."

Realizing that Albus was dismissing her, she stood up again and bade him good night. After she left his office, she found herself wandering the hallways that led towards the Hospital Wing. She knew that Harry was okay, but she just wanted to see him for herself.

Silently opening the heavy doors to the hospital, she quietly walked over to Harry's bed. Even though she knew that Harry wasn't going to wake up from his potion induced sleep any time soon, she still felt a need to be as quiet as possible. She leaned down a little bit in order to better see the boy in the darkened room.

Harry shifted slightly in his sleep before becoming still as McGonagall softly pushed the bangs back from his forehead. She allowed herself to stand beside the bed for a few moments gazing at the boy before reluctantly heading towards her own rooms. She hoped that Harry would confide in them the next day and truthfully explain everything that had been going on.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: Thank you for the reviews. Next chapter will feature Harry having conversations with Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry slowly felt himself waking up. He was confused when he first opened his eyes and saw that he was in a room full of white items. As the events of the day before came rushing back through his memory, Harry groaned aloud. He knew that everyone would want explanations, and he was not looking forward to it. Harry realized that he would have to tell them the truth about what had been going on at the Dursley's house and why he hadn't said anything.

Easing his body so that he could sit up against his pillows, Harry snatched his glasses from the table beside the bed. He looked around the Hospital Wing and tried to locate his belongings. Snape had floated his trunk to Hogwarts, but Harry didn't know what the man had done with it after they had reached the school.

Harry noticed that there was a tray of food sitting on the bedside table. The food had been placed under a heating spell, and steam continued to rise from the plate of eggs and bacon. Harry grabbed the tray and placed it over his lap. He was feeling pretty hungry, but he wasn't able to eat all of the food that was there. The fatty bacon had been a little bit too much for this body to handle: it had been a while since he had had a full and complete meal.

Just as Harry was wondering what he should do, Madam Pomfrey entered the ward from her office. Upon seeing that her patient was awake, she picked up her long skirt and hurried over to Harry's bed.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter. I'm glad that you're finally awake. How are you feeling?"

Harry took a moment to answer the question. Since he had woken up, he hadn't really paid any attention to his missing aches and pains. Harry took a deep breath and noticed that his ribs weren't hurting anymore. He slid out of bed and tested his ankle on the floor. The twinge had left his ankle, but he noticed that there were still several bruises that were visible on his body.

"I'm not in pain, but you can still see some of my bruises. When will those go away?" Harry asked.

"I have a cream for those that should take the bruises away in about two or three days. Some of them were very dark and deep, however, so those might take longer to disappear."

After she finished speaking, Pomfrey walked over to the potions cabinet and removed a lotion from one of the shelves. She carried it back over to the bed and handed the jar to Harry.

"I'll leave this with you to put it on yourself. If you have any trouble reaching the ones on your back, please give me a call. I'll let you have some privacy right now. Once you are finished, come get me."

Madame Pomfrey patted Harry's shoulder comfortingly before leaving the room. Harry was grateful that she wasn't going to stand over him watching as he took care of the bruises. Even though she already knew that his relatives had abused him, it still would have made him very uncomfortable if she had stayed.

Pulling off his shirt, Harry winced at the bruises that marred his body. He decided to get the job done quickly so that he wouldn't have to look at the sight for very long. Squeezing some lotion onto his hands, Harry began the task of rubbing it over his chest. The bruises looked horrible, but the potions that he had taken the night before must have healed any pain from them.

Once he had finished his chest, Harry hurriedly put on his shirt before starting on his arms and face. His movements began to slow down the closer he got to completing the job. He knew that once he was finished, he would have to meet with Professor Dumbledore and talk. Even though he was dreading his talk with the Headmaster, he was dreading even more meeting Snape around Hogwarts. Professor Snape had seen him when he had been weak, and Harry was afraid just thinking about what Snape could do with that information.

Harry finally was done with the lotion, so he prepared himself to meet with the Headmaster. He wandered over to Madame Pomfrey's office and knocked on the door. Upon hearing a voice telling him to come in, Harry pushed the door open.

"I'm done Madame Pomfrey. Do you know where my trunk is?" Harry asked. "I kind of wanted to change my clothes."

"You will have to ask Severus or Albus about that. I believe that they may put you in another room as soon as I discharge you," answered Pomfrey.

Harry looked hopefully at the healer. He wanted to leave the Hospital Wing as soon as possible. He saw enough of the place when he was attending school.

Madame Pomfrey's lips twitched upon seeing the look on Harry's face. "I know that you want to get out of here. I'm going to go ahead and let you leave, but I want you to take the lotion with you and use it once every night and once every morning until the bruises are gone. Bring it back to me when you are finished, and then let me examine you again."

"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey. I'll do it."

Harry was getting ready to leave, but Pomfrey's voice caused him to slow down. "Albus has requested that you go to his office as soon as you leave here. The password to his office is _Chocolate Frog_."

Nodding his head in understanding, Harry left the Hospital Wing and began his trek to Dumbledore's office. Even though he trudged his feet, Harry arrived at his destination in no time. He gave the password to the gargoyle before stepping on the moving staircase.

When Harry entered the office, he stopped dead in his tracks. He had not been expecting Professors McGonagall and Snape to be listening and participating in his conversation with the Headmaster. He was somewhat surprised that Dumbledore had told McGonagall about the abuse.

Upon seeing Harry's hesitance, Dumbledore gave Harry a smile and gestured with his hand at an empty seat. "Please sit down, Harry. There are a few things that we need to discuss today."

Harry slowly walked over to the seat and warily glanced at the three professors. Silence reigned for a few moments as everyone felt awkward at discussing the situation that had drawn them together. Harry played with a thread coming off his shirt as he tried to avoid looking at anyone.

"Harry, we know that you were abused by your uncle, but there are several things that we are unaware of. We want you to please explain these things to us."

Remaining silent for a few seconds longer, Harry tried to gather his thoughts together and decide how he was going to explain everything. Snape got impatient waiting for Harry to speak: he thought that Harry was going to refuse altogether to talk about his home life. "Potter, you will tell us everything truthfully. If you refuse to do that, I have some Veritaserum that will loosen your tongue."

Harry's jaw dropped open when he heard that, and his eyebrows furrowed together angrily. McGonagall pursed her lips in disapproval.

"Severus…" Dumbledore admonished; however, he was cut off by Harry voice.

"You don't have to threaten me, Professor. I am going to tell you the truth, but I just needed a moment to think about what I was going to say."

Snape looked slightly surprised that Harry had dared to talk back to him, but he also appeared somewhat disbelieving that Harry was going to tell the truth. After all, Harry had hidden his injuries and lied to people about his home life.

"I apologize, Potter," Snape responded with difficulty.

Dumbledore shot Snape a warning look before turning back to Harry. "Take your time, Harry."

"Thank you," Harry responded.

Harry allowed himself a few more minutes before taking a deep breath and beginning his tale. "My uncle was angry when we got home from the train station. The Order had threatened him, and he didn't take to kindly to that."

Dumbledore looked guilty when he heard that statement. "Your uncle started hitting you because of the Order's warning? I was the one who told them to have a discussion with Vernon Dursley about how you were treated. I knew that the warning might make him disgruntled, but I thought that he would at least take the threat seriously. I never imagined that he would do anything like what he did to you."

Harry shook his head. "It isn't your fault, Professor. I think that all of his exposure to magic over the years, whether accidental or on purpose, just caused him to go further than he's ever gone before."

McGonagall spoke up. "How far did he used to go with you?"

"My uncle never hit me before this summer, but they were verbally abusive towards me. I grew up in a cupboard under the stairs, and I had to do chores all of the time. They would withhold food from me sometimes, and I wore my cousin's old clothes even though he was more than twice my size."

"Why didn't you say anything to me or one of the other Order members?" McGonagall questioned confusedly. "We would not have allowed that to continue. We would have taken you out of there."

Harry sighed. "A large part of it was because I was embarrassed and ashamed. Everyone expects the _Boy-Who-Lived_," Harry bitterly spat out the title, "to have the perfect life. I didn't want everyone to find out about what my relatives did to me. It's bad enough that the press already writes lies about my love life and accuses me of seeking attention by claiming that Voldemort is back, but I didn't want anything about my home life to become public knowledge."

Dumbledore and McGonagall looked sympathetically at Harry. They knew that Harry had had a rough life, but it didn't look like his life was ever going to get any easier. Voldemort and the Death Eaters were still out there trying to capture and kill him, and they weren't going to give up either.

"Potter, I hope that in the future you will come to one of us and tell us if, Merlin forbid, someone else is hurting you. We care about your well-being, and we want you to be able to trust us," McGonagall said.

Harry quickly glanced disbelievingly in Snape's direction when he heard the last sentence that McGonagall had said. He knew that Snape didn't care about him, even though the man had tried to save his life several times in the past.

"Harry, I hope that you can forgive me for leaving you with the Dursleys when your parents were killed…"

"Professor Dumbledore, I don't blame you for what has happened," Harry replied.

"Thank you, Harry," Dumbledore gratefully said.

After a few moments of silence, Harry inquired, "What's going to happen now?"

McGonagall and Snape looked over at Dumbledore in order to see what his answer would be. The Headmaster hadn't answered that question for them the night before, and they were curious as to what he had decided.

"We will discuss that later. It is almost time for lunch, and I think that you are probably tired of talking about the Dursleys and your life with them. I'll call Dobby up here and allow him to show you to your room right now, and then you can have him bring you up something to eat. After you have settled in and rested, I will call you back up here within a day or two to discus your future."

Harry wanted to finish the discussion now, but he realized that the Headmaster might not even be completely sure what was going to happen to him yet. He was somewhat glad that Dumbledore was letting him go to his room now; the discussion had worn him out more than he had expected it would. Even though he had been dreading the conversation, he noticed that he felt lighter than before. Keeping the abuse secret had been taking a toll on him. He was glad to just get it all off his chest.

Dumbledore snapped his fingers twice which brought Dobby to the office. Dobby bowed down to the Headmaster and began to talk. "Yes, Master Dumbledore, sir. How can Dobby help…"

Dobby trailed off once he saw Harry. Running over and throwing his arms around Harry's legs, Dobby squeaked excitedly.

"Oh, Harry Potter, sir. It is great to see you, sir. What are you doing at Hogwarts? How can Dobby help you?"

Harry grabbed Dobby's shoulders and gently pushed him away. Blushing furiously at the house elf's adoration, Harry tried to ignore the chuckles coming from around the room. Dumbledore captured the elf's attention.

"Dobby, I would like for you to show Harry to the room that has been set up for him. After he has been settled in, please bring him some lunch."

Dobby seized Harry's hand and began dragging him towards the door. "Dobby will show Harry Potter to his room. What would Harry Potter like to eat for lunch? Is there anything else that Dobby can do for Harry Potter?"

Harry threw a desperate look over at the Headmaster, but he was only able to give a quick good bye before Dobby had led him out of the office.

Once Harry had left, Dumbledore turned to the two professors left in the room. His amusement over Harry's embarrassment and Dobby's antics quickly left his face. He was glad that Harry was slowly healing from the abuse that he had suffered, but he knew that it would take a long time before Harry could ever be completely healed.

McGonagall cleared her throat as she stood up from her chair. "I need to go back to my office. There are a few more things that I need to take care of. If you need me, Albus, don't hesitate to contact me, especially if it concerns Potter."

"Of course, Minerva. Good bye." Dumbledore replied. After she had left, the Headmaster turned to Snape. "You were very quiet today."

"I was observing Potter," answered Snape. "I haven't been a spy for all of these years without becoming good at observing others. I think that he was truthful in all that he said, but there are some things that I think he downplayed which might be important. I also think that he left out some information. I'll talk with him later like you wanted me to."

"Why didn't you ask him your questions while he was in here?" Dumbledore asked.

"I think that he was already overwhelmed just talking about his home life with the three of us. I decided to give him some time alone before I talk to him."

"Alright, Severus. I trust you."

-0-0-0-0-0-0

After Harry had gotten rid of Dobby and wolfed down his lunch, he decided to explore the school. He didn't really want to run into anyone, so he grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and tossed it over his body. Quietly opening the door to the hallway, Harry peeked outside in order to see if anyone was around. Once Harry had determined that no one was nearby, he slipped out of the door and started on his explorations.

Harry discovered a few rooms that he had never been in before, but he thought that they were already on the Marauder's Map. None of the rooms were very interesting, however, so Harry quickly got bored with exploring the school. He had started on the upper floors and soon found himself in the dungeons.

Once Harry realized that he was in Snape's territory, he decided that he didn't want to see his professor so soon after meeting him in Dumbledore's office. Even though Snape had been fairly quiet during the conversation, Harry still felt uncomfortable around the Potions Master.

Harry began to walk towards the stairs so that he could go outside and rest beside the lake. Hearing a noise coming in his direction, Harry quickly turned around and tried to hurry back down the corridor as silently as possible. He had had a lot of experience wandering quietly around the school at night during the school year, so he was able to soften his footsteps.

When he rounded the corner, Harry's arm accidentally bumped into a suit of armor. Unintentionally, a curse slipped out of his mouth. Once he realized what he had done, Harry's eyes widened and he slapped his hands over his mouth.

Snape came down the hallway and looked suspiciously around. He quickly realized what had happened to cause the racket.

"Potter, I know that you are down here. Come out from under that infernal cloak."

Harry tossed the cloak off without a second's thought otherwise. He didn't see any point to try and deny the fact that he wasn't there. Besides, Harry couldn't ignore Snape forever. He would have to deal with the fact some time that Snape had rescued him and witnessed his relative's treatment of him.

Snape focused his attention on the now visible body of Harry. After Snape had waved his wand and pieced the armor back together, he spoke. "Meet me in my office tomorrow at three, Potter."

Once Snape had finished speaking, he walked away without another word leaving Harry feeling very confused.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews. I know that Snape didn't have a big role in this chapter, but he will have a more significant part in the next chapter.

Next chapter: Harry and Snape have a private conversation. Harry gives more explanations about his decisions concerning being quiet about the abuse, and he discusses more about his past.


	6. Chapter 6

_Last chapter:_

_Snape focused his attention on the now visible body of Harry. After Snape had waved his wand and pieced the armor back together, he spoke. "Meet me in my office tomorrow at three, Potter."_

_Once Snape had finished speaking, he walked away without another word leaving Harry feeling very confused._

-0-0-0-0-0-0

After Harry had run into Snape in the hallway, Harry dazedly walked back to his bedroom. He was confused as to why Snape would want to have a private conversation with him. In the past, his potions professor rarely met with him alone unless it was to ridicule or punish him. Harry hoped that Snape wouldn't use his relative's abuse against him. He didn't want anyone else to know about the abuse except for the ones who already knew.

Thinking back to when Snape had rescued him from the Dursley's house, Harry realized that Snape had actually been tolerable. His professor had taken him away from the Dursleys even when he had lied about the abuse, and Snape hadn't made any negative comments towards him. Snape had taken the walk to Hogwarts at a pace that was more comfortable for Harry, and his teacher had even kept him from falling down after they had Apparated.

All of these thoughts about Snape stunned Harry. At the time when those things had happened, he had been exhausted and in pain, so he hadn't given much thought to what Snape had done. Even though Snape had saved his life in school before, Snape's current actions still continued to surprise him.

Harry didn't really want to meet with Snape the next day, but he knew that he hadn't been given any choice. If he didn't show up, Snape would probably hunt him down and then things would be worse for him than if he had appeared for the meeting. Thinking about the meeting caused Harry to remember the last time that he had been in Snape's office. That had been when he had looked into his professor's Pensieve. A sickening feeling crept into Harry's stomach just thinking about it. Snape had been in a rage at the time, and he probably hadn't forgiven him since then.

Dreading the meeting even more than he had been earlier, Harry flopped face down on his bed. He groaned aloud as he pulled the pillow over his head and lay still. A pop sounded throughout the room and caused him to hurriedly sit up and glance around.

Dobby stood at the end of his bed looking happily at him. "Professor Dumbledore thought that Harry Potter might want Dobby to bring Harry Potter's dinner to him like Dobby did with lunch earlier. What would Harry Potter like to eat?"

Harry was glad that he wouldn't have to go down to the Great Hall and eat dinner with Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape. He knew that he would probably have at least one meal with them the next day, but he really just wanted to be by himself for the rest of the night.

"Thank you, Dobby. Why don't you bring me up whatever the house elves made the professors for supper?"

Dobby eagerly nodded his head. "Dobby can do that for Harry Potter. Supper will be sent up shortly."

After Dobby had left him alone, Harry wearily dropped back onto his bed. He didn't feel like he had done much all day, but all he really wanted to do was eat dinner and then go to bed. Deciding that he would go ahead and take a shower before the food appear, Harry laid out some pajamas and the cream for his bruises.

By the time that he had finished with his shower and gotten dressed in his night clothes along with putting on the cream, the food was sitting on a table in the sitting room of his suite. Even though Dobby may have annoyed him every now and then, Harry was still grateful for the house elf at times. Harry promptly dived into his food and satisfied his hunger.

-0-0-0-0-0

Despite the fact that Harry didn't want the next day to arrive, morning quickly came upon him. Harry didn't want to just wait around and do nothing until time for the meeting, so he wandered into the library in order to look for something interesting to read. He had woken up late, but Dobby had apparently left some food on the table in his rooms for him to eat.

Harry scanned the titles on the book shelves and occasionally picked up a book to look at, but nothing held his interest for long. He didn't really want to start on his summer homework; however, he was bored and couldn't think of anything else to do. Picking up a book on Charms, Harry began to take notes for his essay.

Since he was engrossed in completing some of his assignments, Harry continued doing his homework right through lunch. The Defense Against the Dark Arts reading had been very fascinating, and it had held his attention for over an hour. After he had been writing for a while, Harry looked up and was startled to notice that it was 2:50. Not wanting to be late for his meeting with Professor Snape, Harry hurriedly stacked up the books that he had been using before rushing out of the library.

Harry ran through the halls and skidded around the corners. His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest and there was a stitch in his side, but Harry was not going to allow himself time to slow down and rest. Just as he reached the dungeons, Harry slid to a stop outside of the office door. Taking a few moments to compose himself and catch his breath, Harry readied himself for the conversation that was going to take place. After taking one final deep breath, he hesitantly knocked on the door.

"Enter," a voice called.

The emotionless voice didn't help to dispel any of Harry's fears, but Harry forced himself to open the door and go into the room. Professor Snape was sitting at his desk working on some papers when Harry entered the office. Snape didn't look up as Harry closed the door behind himself and walked over to the desk. Harry stood beside of the chair that was placed in front of the desk and waited for his teacher to acknowledge his presence.

After a few moments of silence, Snape finally finished marking on one of his papers before looking up and noticing Harry standing there.

"Sit down, Potter. We have much to discuss."

As Harry silently sat down, his eyes were drawn against his will to the area where Snape's Pensieve had last been. Harry forced himself to return his attention to Snape and realized that the man had understood what Harry had been thinking about. Snape's gaze hardened slightly, and his lips tightened.

Harry gulped before steeling himself for the conversation ahead. "Professor, before we begin talking, there's something that I wanted to tell you."

The look on Snape's face didn't change; however, the professor remained silent and allowed Harry to talk. Harry forced himself to continue looking into Snape's eyes. "I'm sorry that I looked into your Pensieve this past school year."

Surprise quickly showed on Snape's face over hearing an apology from Harry; however, anger rapidly replaced the surprise. "Did you spread the memory to all of your friends, Potter? Did you enjoy seeing me humiliated by your father? I bet that you did."

Harry's jaw dropped open upon hearing his professor's accusations. He shook his head and tried to explain. "I never told anyone about the memory except for Sirius and Remus, and the only reason that I talked to them about it was because I wanted them to tell me why they did that to you. I hated the fact that my father bullied you; I never enjoyed witnessing it. When I saw him being a bully to you, it only reminded me of the times when my cousin used to bully me. I hated it when Dudley would pick on people who were weaker than he was, namely me."

Snape's gaze softened slightly upon hearing Harry's admission about his cousin; however, he wasn't going to let go of the incident too quickly. "Why did you look into my Pensieve in the first place? Were you looking for a horrible memory to torment me with?"

Harry, realizing that his professor wasn't going to become violent or throw him out, decided to continue talking about the incident. He felt like Snape deserved to know why he had done it. "I was upset that year because Dumbledore was ignoring me, and no one would tell me why I kept dreaming about the Department of Mysteries. I thought that maybe you had put an explanation for those things inside your Pensieve because maybe you didn't want me to know about them for some reason. That's why I looked inside it. I only wanted to know about my visions." After a moment's pause, Harry softly added, "I really am sorry, sir."

Hanging his head in shame, Harry stared down into his lap. Snape stayed silent for several minutes just gazing down at Harry's bowed head. He understood why Harry had looked into the Pensieve, but it would still take some time before he could completely get over the incident.

"I appreciate your honesty, Potter," Snape eventually replied. "I guess that we both know a little bit about each other's past now. Rest assured, I won't be blabbing to everyone about your secrets either."

Shocked, Harry quickly looked up at his professor. The only response that he was able to make, however, was a nod of his head.

"Now, I want to talk about the reason I called you down here," Snape briskly said. "When I was listening to you talk yesterday, I noticed some interesting things. We'll start with an easy one first. For one thing, you said that the Dursleys were verbally abusive towards you; however, you never really elaborated on that point even though you somewhat described other instances of abuse. What sorts of things did they say to you?"

A light blush crept up on Harry's cheeks. "Professor, why is this important? Why did you want to meet with me? I never have to go back to the Dursley's house again, and that is all that matters to me."

"Whether or not you believe it, Potter, I want to help you," Snape's dark eyes searched Harry's face. "When Albus first asked me to talk to you, I was very reluctant; however, that changed as I continued to learn more about you. Albus told me that you were almost put in Slytherin."

"He told you about that?" Harry exclaimed. He was surprised that Dumbledore had decided to reveal that little fact to Snape. He hadn't even told his friends about it.

Snape answered, "Yes. I think that it helped to change my attitude towards you somewhat. I take care of my House. That fact that the Sorting Hat was divided about which House you should have been in shows that there are a lot of Slytherin qualities in you, whether you want to admit it or not."

Harry didn't really know how to respond to what Snape had said, so he decided to remain quiet. Snape didn't really seem to be requiring a response because he quickly turned the conversation back in the direction where it had originally been headed.

"Now, I answered your question about why I'm talking to you. Do me the courtesy to answer my questions. I think that talking about the abuse will help you to get over it. Even though you may want to pretend like the abuse didn't hurt you emotionally, I know better."

Sitting in silence, Harry contemplated Snape's comments. In a way, he did want to tell someone about what the Dursleys had done to him. He wanted someone to understand him and to help him get through this. At times, he felt so alone.

Believing that Snape had been genuine in his remark about wanting to help him, Harry decided to explain at least a little bit more about his life. "The Dursleys would tell me that I was worthless, useless, a freak, and a burden. When I was growing up, they said that my parents were unemployed and had died drunk in a car crash." Harry paused and looked away from Snape's gaze. "They said that I should have died along with my parents."

A disgusted look appeared on Snape's face. "They were wrong, Potter. Since I've come to learn more about you, I have discovered that your relatives hate magic. That is the reason that they said those things to you. You have friends in the wizarding world who care about you. You need to ignore the things that your relatives said."

Harry began warming up to the conversation. Heatedly, Harry said, "It's not that easy to disregard things that you have been hearing your whole life, Professor. In the wizarding world, I still have people who hate me and have ridiculed me." Harry calmed down and quietly added, "Including you."

Snape took a deep breath. "Potter…I don't hate you anymore. I apologize for some of the things that I've said before. I realize now that you are not your father." Snape had a hard time saying those words, so he tried to steer the conversation away from himself. "I understand that hurtful words can have an impact on a person's life…"

"That's just it, Professor," Harry interrupted. "My relatives were supposed to love me. They are the only family I have left that is still living. Hearing those things from them hurt more than hearing them from people who don't even know me. When I was younger, I used to believe the things that my relatives said about me. I didn't know any better, and they were my guardians."

Looking intently at Harry, Snape quietly questioned, "Do you still believe those things now?"

"No, I don't. I understand why my relatives said those things. I know that it's because they hated magic and my parents. Even if I don't believe those things anymore, that still doesn't change the fact that they said them."

"I understand, Potter. It will take some time to get over everything that they have done to you, but I think that you can eventually reach that point. You don't have to go through all of this alone anymore."

Harry tentatively smiled at his professor. Just talking about all of this was helping to relieve the heavy burden that he had been carrying around by himself. He was somewhat surprised that Snape could be so understanding.

"There are some more things that I want to discuss. You also said yesterday that one of the reasons that you didn't tell anyone about the abuse was because of embarrassment and shame. What are some of the other reasons?"

Hesitating, Harry tried to compose his answer. He knew that people would have a hard time understanding. "A part of it was because of guilt. Whenever Cedric died, I felt guilty because I told him to take the Triwizard Cup with me. Because he did, he wound up being murdered. Now that Sirius died because I went to the Department of Mysteries, those feelings of guilt have become stronger. I guess I didn't tell anyone about the abuse because I felt I might have deserved it."

Snape's eyebrows rose in surprise. He had not expected Harry to say anything like that. "Potter, you didn't know that the Cup was a portkey. The Dark Lord was the one who murdered Diggory, not you. Last year when I was talking to Albus, he told me that Diggory almost beat you to the Cup. If he had gotten to it before you, he would have gone there alone and died anyway."

Seeing that Harry was listening, even though he wasn't really responding, Snape continued to speak. "Furthermore, Black's death was not your fault either. You didn't know that the Dark Lord had sent you a false vision. You tried to contact Black before leaving Hogwarts, and that vermin Kreacher lied to you about Black's whereabouts. You were only trying to save Black. He shouldn't have even left Grimmauld Place. There were plenty of other Order members there to save you and your friends that night."

Harry was desperate to believe what Snape was saying, but he was still having a hard time getting over his feelings. Deep inside himself he knew that Voldemort was the cause for most of the pain that he had endured throughout his life; however, it would take a while before his guilt would dissipate.

"Potter, those horrid, vile relatives of yours are disgusting excuses for human beings. What they did to you was abhorrent. _No one_," Snape stressed, "deserves that, especially not an innocent, defenseless child."

Tears came to Harry's eyes upon hearing those words. He looked away from Snape in order to get himself back under control. Once he had calmed down and took a deep, shaky breath, Harry turned back to look Snape in the eye.

"Thank you, Professor."

"Your welcome, Potter. Is there anything else that you would like to share with me? Were there any other reasons that you kept quiet?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Well, I guess another reason that I didn't say anything was because I didn't have anywhere else to go. All of my relatives are dead, and I didn't want to live in an orphanage." Harry paused before adding, "Besides, Professor Dumbledore told me that he knew about some of the things that I had to endure."

"WHAT!" Snape loudly exclaimed, partly in astonishment and partly in disbelief.

"Yeah." Harry's voice sounded far away as he recalled what Dumbledore had told him. "After we got back from the Department of Mysteries, the Headmaster told me that when he left me with my relatives he knew that I would have a hard life there. He said that he knew I would have a difficult life with them."

Snape inhaled deeply through his nose as his eyes narrowed in anger. He tried to quickly get his emotions under control. Snape couldn't believe that the Headmaster had left Harry at the Dursley's house if he knew what kind of life he was condemning the boy to.

Harry shook his head in order to stop his reminiscing. He refocused his attention on his professor. "I'm glad that we had this talk, sir. I'll have to admit that I was really dreading it this morning, but I think that it helped me out a lot. Thank you."

"If you ever need to talk to me again, I will be here. You are dismissed if there is nothing else that you wish to talk about."

Harry got up from his chair and said a quiet good bye. He walked over to the door and began to walk out into the hall. Planning on going back to his bedroom, Harry started to wander towards the stairs.

Snape continued to sit still for a few more moments after Harry left. He was trying to digest the enormous amount of information that he had learned about the boy that afternoon. He was relieved that Harry had been willing to open up and talk to him, but he was also surprised that the boy had done so.

Deciding on a course of action, Snape stalked over to the fireplace and threw some Floo powder down. Kneeling beside the fireplace, Snape stuck his head into the flames and called out his destination. Once the spinning stopped, Snape quickly began to speak without allowing the other person to talk.

"Albus," Snape angrily hissed, "there are a few important things that I need to discuss with you."

Once he had spat out that one sentence, Snape withdrew his head and stomped back over to his desk. The Headmaster was going to have a lot of explaining to do soon.

-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: I hope that I haven't made the change between Harry and Snape too sudden or dramatic. Thank you for all the reviews.


	7. Chapter 7

_Last chapter:_

_Deciding on a course of action, Snape stalked over to the fireplace and threw some Floo powder down. Kneeling beside the fireplace, Snape stuck his head into the flames and called out his destination. Once the spinning stopped, Snape quickly began to speak without allowing the other person to talk._

"_Albus," Snape angrily hissed, "there are a few important things that I need to discuss with you."_

_Once he had spat out that one sentence, Snape withdrew his head and stomped back over to his desk. The Headmaster was going to have a lot of explaining to do soon._

-0-0-0-0-0-0

After giving himself some time to calm down, Snape left his office and stalked up to the Headmaster's office. A scowl appeared on his face as he spat out the password to the gargoyle. He impatiently stepped on the moving staircase and waited for the steps to reach the top. Once he got to the office door, he quickly pushed the door open without bothering to knock. He figured that Dumbledore had already been waiting for him anyway.

Dumbledore looked up expectantly and a little bit apprehensively. His face stayed serious as he waved Snape over to a seat in front of the desk. Snape sat down and looked calculatingly at the Headmaster across from him.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "What was it that you wanted to talk with me about, Severus?"

"I talked with Potter this afternoon. He told me some interesting things," Snape replied.

Looking slightly puzzled and intrigued about where the conversation was going, Dumbledore replied, "Did he? What exactly did he tell you?"

Ignoring Dumbledore's questions, Snape continued speaking. "Did you know what was going on in that house, Albus?"

"What?" Shocked at hearing the Potion Master's accusations, Dumbledore leaned heavily back in his chair. "Do you think that if I had known that Harry was being beaten that I would have allowed him to stay with the Dursleys?"

"That's not what I was asking, Albus," Snape retorted as he looked Dumbledore straight in the eye. "Potter told me that you knew that his life with his relatives was unpleasant and miserable. He said that you told him that yourself at the end of the school year."

Heaving a heavy sigh, Dumbledore wearily looked away. "I did say that. I knew when I left him there that the Dursleys wouldn't treat Harry very well, but I never expected it to go this far…"

An annoyed look crossed Snape's face as he interrupted Dumbledore. "Do you think that that matters? Potter still suffers from some of the emotional abuse that he has been subjected to at the hands of his relatives. Physical abuse and verbal abuse are both horrible; however, verbal abuse just by itself is still bad enough. Even if you knew that all his relatives were going to do was to belittle him, you still shouldn't have left him there."

Saddened, Dumbledore responded, "I only wanted Harry to be safe. I knew that Voldemort would come back some day, and I knew that his mother's sacrifice would allow him to be safe from Voldemort while he stayed with his relatives."

"Yes, the Dark Lord did come back, but he was very weakened before he regained his body. I'm sure that there were plenty of wizarding families that would have willingly taken Potter in. It probably hurts him that some people knew about what his family was doing to him but didn't do anything to help him. His friends couldn't do much to help him, but he probably feels like the adults in his life have let him down."

After being silent for a few moments, Dumbledore quietly added, "Does Harry blame me?"

Snape carefully looked the Headmaster over. He knew that Dumbledore was feeling guilty for what had happened, but he felt that Dumbledore needed to know what the consequences of his choices had done to one of his students.

"I don't think that Potter blames you; however, he didn't really say one way or the other to me."

Some relief came upon Dumbledore. Even though he knew that he would have deserved any anger that Harry felt towards him, he was still relieved to hear what Snape said.

"It has been two days since Potter came to Hogwarts. Have you decided yet what will happen with him?" asked Snape.

"Yes, I have, but I would like him to be in here before I reveal anything. Minerva was called away this morning to go visit with her sister. I know that she wished to be here, but it could not be helped. I am going to call Harry up here tonight in order to tell him about what is going to happen to him now. I would like you to be in here when I do."

"Alright, Albus," Snape replied.

Dumbledore looked surprised that the Potion's Master had agreed so quickly. He had expected at least a scowl or an argument. Seeing that Snape was smirking at his surprise, Dumbledore pulled himself together.

"After supper tonight, we will all meet back here. Thank you for everything that you have done for me, Severus."

"Of course, Albus. Just remember everything that we have talked about today, especially when it concerns Potter's future. We don't want to make another mistake in regards to him," Snape answered seriously.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

Once Harry had left Snape's office, he walked back to his bedroom. He was surprised that he had revealed so much to Snape about his home life. He had never told anyone that much about his home life before, not even Ron or Hermione. Harry couldn't believe how easy it had been to tell Snape about himself. He really hadn't wanted to talk at first, but once he started talking, it had gotten easier and easier.

After Harry entered his bedroom, he decided that he should write to his friends. He hadn't talked to them in a while, and he thought that they might want to hear from him. He wasn't going to tell them about the abuse; however, he would mention the fact that he wasn't staying with the Dursleys anymore. Harry decided to write one letter and then copy that letter onto another sheet of paper.

_Hi,_

_I haven't heard from you in a while, so I decided to write and see what's going on. Several things have happened to me. I'm currently staying at Hogwarts. It's been decided that it isn't in my best interests to stay with the Dursleys anymore, so I have been removed from their house. I don't really know what's going to happen to me for the rest of the summer, but I'll keep you updated. Write me back and tell me what's been going on with you._

_Harry_

After Harry had copied the letter, he grabbed the sheets of paper and headed up to the owlery. He knew that his letter was vague on why he had left the Dursleys, but he hoped that his friends wouldn't push the matter.

When Harry entered the owlery, Hedwig fluttered down from her perch and landed on his shoulder. She gently nipped his ear before nuzzling her beak against his hand. Harry rubbed his hand over Hedwig's soft feathers.

"I have two letters that I want you to deliver. One is to Ron and the other is to Hermione. Are you up to delivering both of them?"

Hedwig gave him a reproachful look as though she had been insulted by Harry's question. Upon giving a hoot of agreement, Hedwig grabbed the two letters in her claws before flying out the window. Harry stood staring after his owl until she had disappeared from view. When he looked at his watch, Harry was startled to notice that it was time for supper. Deciding that he should probably eat with his teachers in the Great Hall rather than by himself, Harry started to trek down the stairs.

Harry was somewhat surprised when he entered the Great Hall and realized that only Snape and Dumbledore were present. He wondered what had happened to Professor McGonagall. The House tables and the staff table were gone. Instead, a small square table was situated in the middle of the room. Harry slowly wandered over to the table and took a seat which was on Dumbledore's right and it was across from Snape. Once Harry sat down, food appeared on the table.

"I'm glad that you could join us, Harry. Minerva had to leave today on emergency business, I'm afraid, but she told me to tell you that she wishes that she could be here."

Harry started to put some food on his plate. "What sort of emergency did she have?"

"Her sister got very sick, and Minerva decided to go take care of her. What have you been up to today, Harry?" Dumbledore asked. He decided to feign ignorance over the discussion he knew that Harry had had with Snape. He wanted to see whether Harry would bring it up himself.

"Well, this morning I was working on my summer homework in the library…" Harry trailed off when he saw the disbelieving look on Snape's face. "I was bored, and I didn't have anything else to do. Anyway, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape told me yesterday that he wanted to meet with me today, so I went to visit him. After that, I wrote to Ron and Hermione."

"What sorts of things did you and Severus talk about, Harry?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat and avoided looking in anyone's eyes. He reluctantly answered, "We just talked about my home life mainly."

Seeing that Harry didn't really want to talk about himself anymore, Dumbledore turned to Snape and began discussing a potion that the man was working on. Harry partially listened to the conversation, but he mainly concentrated on finishing his meal. Once everyone was done, Dumbledore turned back to Harry.

"There are a few things that I want to talk to you about. Please come up to my office with me."

Realizing that he didn't really have much of a choice, Harry silently followed Dumbledore and Snape. He wondered what they wanted to talk to him about. All he really wanted to do was to go back to his room. Once Harry was seated in the office, he looked expectantly over at the Headmaster.

"I have decided what we should do concerning your future. First, we need to go to the Ministry…"

Once Harry heard the word 'Ministry,' his jaw dropped open and he sat up straighter. He couldn't believe that Dumbledore would want to go to the Ministry with the information about him and his relatives. This was the same Ministry that almost expelled him for performing the Patronus Charm during the summer, the same Ministry that sentenced Sirius to Azkaban without a trial, and the same Ministry that had allowed people like Fudge and Malfoy to hold power.

Dumbledore noticed that Harry was upset, so he decided to assuage Harry's fears. "I know that you don't want anyone to know about what has happened, but we need to assign you a new guardian. If we don't tell the Ministry why we removed you from the Dursleys, they may force you to go back. In order for us to switch guardianship away from the Dursleys, we will have to tell them what has happened."

"I don't want to tell the Ministry," Harry argued. "Why do they even have to know that I left the Dursleys at all? I told Ron and Hermione that I left, but we don't have to tell anyone else."

"The Ministry will most likely find out that you are gone if we don't tell them. In the past, they were never really concerned when you left the Dursley's house in order to go to the Weasley's house or to Grimmauld Place; however, since they have realized that Voldemort is back, they will be more concerned with your whereabouts. Besides, the Order will soon be questioning me about why they haven't seen you around the Dursley's house lately," Dumbledore said.

Snape knew one of the reasons that Harry didn't want to go to the Ministry. He looked over at Harry and spoke up. "If you are worried about The Daily Prophet finding out about what your relatives did, you don't need to be concerned about it. The Child Services portion of the Ministry is very confidential."

Narrowing his eyes, Harry retorted, "That may be true for most people; however, I'm not normal, am I? Where I'm concerned, nothing is private. During my fourth and fifth year, the newspaper took great pleasure in taking my private life and plastering it all over the front of their papers. Wizards and witches all over Britain were reading about me and forming preconceived notions about me without ever meeting me."

Noticing that Snape was about to reply, Dumbledore hurriedly started to speak. "Harry, Severus, please. Let me finish what I started to say earlier. We will discreetly go to Child Services in the Ministry, tell them about the Dursleys, and then we will have your guardianship transferred to someone else. If we didn't tell anyone about what the Dursleys did to you, Harry, they wouldn't be punished for it."

"I know that what they did was horrible, but I don't have to go back there anymore. I just want to get over all of this and move on. Sharing my private life with several other people won't help me to do that."

Dumbledore looked sympathetically over at Harry. "I know that this is a tough time for you. I want to help you out as much as I possibly can, but…"

Harry angrily stood up from his sitting position and placed his palms down on the desk. "Look, I don't want to go to the Ministry with this. I know that you say it will be kept confidential, but I know better. If you go to the Ministry even though I don't want you to, I will do something that you aren't going to like."

Harry turned around and stormed out of the office. After stepping on the staircase, Harry slammed the door shut behind him. Snape furiously stood up and planned to go after the boy and talk some sense into him. Dumbledore's voice stopped him before he got too far.

"Leave him alone, Severus. He has a right to be upset with everything that has been going on lately."

Appalled by what Harry had done, Snape responded, "Surely you aren't going to allow him to get away with that?"

"I'll let him have a few days to cool down and think things over," answered Dumbledore. "Hopefully, he will understand my point of view by then and become more cooperative. He has been hurt by a lot of people in the past, and I can understand that he doesn't want to be hurt anymore. He has become very mistrustful where the Ministry is concerned."

"What will you do if he still refuses to tell the Ministry in a few days? We can't allow him to go back to his relatives, and we can't get him a new guardian without going to the Ministry."

"If that happens, I guess that we will have to deal with it then," Dumbledore vaguely replied.

"Do you believe that Potter will really do something drastic if he doesn't get his way?" Snape asked seriously.

"Let's hope not, Severus."

-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: For the record, I love Dumbledore. I don't see him as evil, manipulative, etc.; however, I do think that he has made some bad decisions concerning Harry.

Harry's attitude in this chapter: I have my reasons. We know that Harry has expressed extreme anger in the past (for example, tearing up Dumbledore's office and yelling at his friends at Grimmauld Place in the beginning of book five), so I don't think that this is too out of character for him. Plus, this chapter is setting up events that will happen in the next chapter or two.


	8. Chapter 8

_Last chapter:_

"_I'll let him have a few days to cool down and think things over," answered Dumbledore. "Hopefully, he will understand my point of view by then and become more cooperative. He has been hurt by a lot of people in the past, and I can understand that he doesn't want to be hurt anymore. He has become very mistrustful where the Ministry is concerned."_

"_What will you do if he still refuses to tell the Ministry in a few days? We can't allow him to go back to his relatives, and we can't get him a new guardian without going to the Ministry."_

"_If that happens, I guess that we will have to deal with it then," Dumbledore vaguely replied._

"_Do you believe that Potter will really do something drastic if he doesn't get his way?" Snape asked seriously._

"_Let's hope not, Severus."_

-0-0-0-0-0-0

It had been a few days since Harry had had the conversation with Snape and Dumbledore regarding telling the Ministry about the abuse. Since then, he had been avoiding meeting the two professors. He would either go down to the kitchens to eat meals, or Dobby would bring him something to eat. Surprisingly enough, Dumbledore and Snape allowed him his privacy. They hadn't sought him out to talk with him some more, and they hadn't even crossed paths in the hallways. Harry didn't know why they were giving him this time alone, but he suspected that they were trying to get him to calm down and rethink the situation.

Harry spent a lot of time in his room reading and doing a lot of thinking. He still hadn't changed his mind about not going to the Ministry. Harry didn't think that there was anything that anyone could say that would change his mind.

Harry felt angry and hurt just thinking about the conversation. He wanted to be in control of his life for once. Since he had been young, he felt like everyone was making decisions for him. If he didn't want to go to the Ministry, he thought that they should respect that. Dumbledore had said that the Ministry would send him back if they found out that he was gone without knowing his reasons for leaving, but Harry knew that Dumbledore was a very powerful wizard. Surely there was a way that he could hide this from the Ministry.

Whenever Harry needed to let out his frustrations during those days, he would wait until sunset before taking his Firebolt outside for a flight. Flying caused him to forget about the Dursleys, Snape, Dumbledore, and the Ministry. He relished in the feeling of the wind blowing through his hair, and he loved to feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest whenever he would perform some dangerous stunt. For him, flying was a great stress reliever.

Harry was leaving the Quidditch pitch with his broom slung over his shoulder one night after a grueling, yet satisfying, practice; however, he stopped walking when he noticed a lone figure standing partly in the shadows. Seeing that he couldn't avoid talking to Snape, he grudgingly trudged over to the man and halted in front of him.

"Yes, professor?" Harry frostily asked.

Snape, ignoring Harry's attitude, replied. "The Headmaster and I would like a word with you now. We have given you a long enough time to reconsider your thoughts about this matter. Now, you will follow me up to Albus's office."

Harry narrowed his eyes at Snape's words, but he forced himself not to respond. He allowed Snape to walk ahead of him while he lagged behind the man. Harry knew that there was no way that he could postpone this conversation; however, that didn't stop him from trying to go as slowly as possible. Snape realized what he was doing and irritably turned around.

"Potter, pick up your feet and go a little bit faster."

Harry stubbornly stopped and glared at Snape. "Professor, you told me that you understood what I was going through. You said that you had worked with children whose family had been horrible to them just like my family was to me. Why can't you stick up for me? Can't you understand my reasons for not wanting to go to the Ministry?"

Snape sighed and walked towards Harry. The annoyed look on his face softened slightly upon hearing what Harry said. "Potter, I do understand, believe me; however, Albus wants to do what is best for you. Albus already had to explain to the Order that you were no longer at the Dursley's house. They noticed that you were never around the house any more, and they questioned him about it."

Seeing Harry's eyes widening slightly, Snape expounded on what he had been saying. "Albus didn't say where you were or why you left. Several Order members have been asking more extensively about you, however. Lupin and the Weasleys weren't satisfied with the limited information that Albus told them."

"Just because the Order has noticed that I'm not with the Dursleys any more doesn't mean that anyone else will become aware of that fact," Harry responded.

"Potter, the Ministry knows that the Dark Lord was after a prophecy that night in the Department of Mysteries. They don't know what the prophecy says, but they do know that it concerned you and the Dark Lord. The Ministry is also aware that you are important in the war effort. Since the public now knows that the You-Know-Who has returned, the Ministry doesn't want the wizarding world to remember the fact that the Ministry denied the Dark Lord's return for a whole year. The Ministry will want to make the public think that they are doing everything that they can to be on your good side. The Ministry knows that you are safe at your relative's house from You-Know-Who, so they will return you back to your relatives when they find out that you are missing. They will want to keep you safe from the Dark Lord."

Harry looked away from Snape's observant eyes. He knew that Snape and Dumbledore made some good points, but it still didn't change the way that he felt.

"Let's keep walking to Professor Dumbledore's office, sir," Harry said, avoiding replying to what Snape had said.

Snape curtly nodded his head and once again took the lead. Harry resumed walking, but he increased his pace lest he incur Snape's wrath. Upon arriving at the Headmaster's office, Harry quickly took a seat and laid his broomstick carefully on the floor.

"Thank you for coming, Harry," Dumbledore said as he gave Harry a smile of welcome. "There are several things that need to be discussed."

Harry was focused on the Headmaster, so he was unaware when Snape locked the door so that Harry couldn't storm out again. Snape knew that there would probably be another scene during this conversation like the last time, and he wanted to be prepared for it.

"Harry, I know your concerns regarding talking to the Child Services of the Ministry, but I know the head of the department personally. She and I know each other quite well actually. I trust that she will be able to keep this a secret from the newspapers," Dumbledore explained.

A struggle was occurring inside of Harry. The Headmaster made the whole process sound so easy, but Harry knew that it would be anything but easy. Harry was recognizable pretty much everywhere he went in the wizarding world, especially after everything that had happened recently. If he showed up at the Ministry, he was afraid that people would begin snooping around trying to find out what he had been up to.

"Please, sir. Isn't there anything else that can be done? You have gone against the Ministry several times before. If they did find out that I was missing, couldn't you force them not to take me back?"

A pained look crossed Dumbledore's face. "I'm sorry, Harry, but without giving them probable cause for not returning you to the Dursleys, I can't stop them."

Beginning to get frustrated with the way the conversation was going, Harry asked, "Can't you give this a few more days? The Ministry may not be as aware of my situation as you think they are."

"Even if I did give you a few more days, I still believe that the Ministry will find out that you are gone. I had a talk with representatives at the Ministry of Magic after the school year ended, and that is how I found out that they would probably be more aware of your whereabouts during the summer than they have been in the past."

Harry was getting upset and he wanted to escape the room. He stood up and turned towards the door, planning to just leave again. He had heard what Professor Dumbledore had to say; however, he didn't agree with it. He knew that the Headmaster had his opinions, just like Harry had his own opinions; Harry also knew that both of them could be very stubborn when the situation called for it.

"Potter, you aren't leaving this room until everything is settled. I have locked the door, and you can't run away from the conversation this time," Snape said, even as he cautiously took his wand out of his pocket.

Hearing Snape's comments made Harry's anger grow. He could feel his magic welling up inside of him until he couldn't control it anymore. The magic swiftly escaped his body and struck the door. Once the door had opened, Harry swept up his broom from off the floor and began to run down the stairs. Snape stood up and quickly walked towards the door with his wand in hand.

Dumbledore, his head held in the palms of his hands, softly spoke out. "Severus, you might as well let him go."

Sputtering in outrage, Snape whirled around. "How can you just let him go like that? You already let him get away with it once. You know that the Ministry will have to eventually be informed about this mess, so why do you keep putting it off? You can't let Potter defy you like that."

"Severus, calm down. I know that Child Services will need to be told, but I've already hurt Harry several times in the past. I don't want to cause him unnecessary pain. We'll try to talk to him again tomorrow. We may need to bring Remus in and see if he can change Harry's mind."

Snape just shook his head in disgust. He sympathized with Potter's situation, he really did, but he couldn't believe that the boy was acting like this. He understood Potter's feelings; however, he knew that things couldn't continue like this.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

Harry paced angrily around his room. He couldn't believe that no one understood his point of view. Snape was even siding with the Headmaster about going to the Ministry. After talking with Snape for a little while the other day, he thought that Snape would have been more understanding. Apparently he had been wrong.

Harry didn't know what was going to happen now. He had his beliefs, and they weren't going to change; however, this couldn't keep going on forever. Dumbledore wouldn't allow him to leave the room all the time without resolving the issue.

Realizing that the whole conversation had been draining, Harry quickly changed into some pajamas and crawled into the bed. He would think about the whole situation more in the morning.

Harry tossed and turned a lot in his sleep, and he experienced several unpleasant dreams. He blearily opened his eyes the next morning and was not pleased when he realized that the alarm read 5:00. Normally he had been waking up at about 8:00; however, since he didn't think that he could go back to sleep, Harry decided to get up and grab some breakfast.

When Harry reached the Great Hall, he hesitated upon seeing the doors. He didn't want to run into either Snape or Dumbledore after what had happened last night, but he didn't think that they would be up this early. Hearing his stomach growling, Harry entered the Great Hall and walked over to the small table. As soon as he sat down, food appeared before him.

While Harry began eating, a lone owl flew through the rafters and gracefully landed beside him. Harry took the papers from the owl and gave the bird a few strips of his bacon. Noticing that the papers were actually the Daily Prophet, Harry pulled the newspaper towards him and fully opened it. He wondered why the newspaper had been delivered so early that morning, but that train of thought was quickly cut off.

The first thing that caught Harry's eye was a big picture of himself on the middle of the front page. Harry's fork stopped halfway to his mouth when he caught sight of the title of the article. The fork dropped from his hand and clanged down on the plate as Harry gasped and tightly clenched the newspaper between his hands.

_**Harry Potter: Abused by Relatives?**_

_It has just been reported that Harry Potter's relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, have been abusing their nephew ever since he came to live with them. Only recently, however, has the abuse become more violent. Apparently, the Dursleys have always hated magic, so they took out those feelings on their nephew. Harry Potter's mother Lily is the sister of Mrs. Petunia Dursley. _

_More details will be printed as they become available._

The paper fluttered down to the floor as Harry's stared unseeing across the Great Hall. He couldn't believe that Dumbledore had gone to the Ministry last night without even telling him anything. He couldn't understand how Dumbledore could do this to him when Harry hadn't given him permission. If anyone should have said anything to the Ministry, Harry felt that it should have been him, had he wanted to do it.

Harry abruptly stood up and allowed his chair to fall to the floor. He stormed out of the Great Hall and headed in the direction of his room. He knew what he was going to do. He had told Dumbledore the other day that if the Headmaster did anything drastic without his permission, he would do something that Dumbledore wouldn't like. Harry fully intended to keep that promise.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Dumbledore was working at his desk at 7:00 when the fireplace suddenly flared to life and Remus Lupin frantically made his way over to the Headmaster. Dumbledore quickly looked up from his work and wondered what had happened to cause Remus to look so panicked.

"Is it true, Albus? Has Harry's family been abusing him all of these years?" Remus worriedly asked.

"What? How did you find that out?" Albus confusedly replied.

"So it is true," Remus gasped as he fell heavily into a chair. Remus struggled to pull all of his thoughts together and tried to ask all of the questions that came to his mind. "Why did I not see it? Why did you not tell me? You said that you removed him from the Dursley's house, but you didn't say why. How long have you known about this?"

Dumbledore was about to answer when the door to his office banged open and Snape rushed in. The Headmaster wondered if Snape was coming to tell him about the newspaper clipping as well, but he was shocked to hear the words that came out of the Potion Master's mouth.

"Potter has run away, Albus."

-0-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: I have reasons for Harry's running away. Good things will come out of it. Please don't review and say you think that Harry is acting unreasonable or out of character. In the next chapter, you will find out the specifics of Harry's running away (how he did it and what he does after leaving Hogwarts). Thanks for the reviews.


	9. Chapter 9

Harry sat tensely on the Knight Bus. The beds that were usually on the bus at night had been replaced with tables and chairs for the daytime. Harry was huddled in the corner of the bus staring out of the window and avoiding looking at anyone. As he sat there, he thought back to how he had escaped Hogwarts. He almost couldn't believe that he had left; however, he knew that he couldn't go back just yet. He needed some time by himself for a while. Harry wanted to find some place where no one would know him so that he could hide.

xXxXxX

_Flashback_:

After Harry had read the article in the newspaper about himself, he had gone back to his room. He stormed throughout the hallways and threw the door to his room open. Once he entered his bedroom, Harry started gathering his belongings and tossing them onto the bed. Despite the fact that it was only 5:30, Harry still felt like he needed to hurry up and leave Hogwarts before they realized that he was missing. He wanted to have a significant head start.

Once Harry had put all of his things on the bed, he dragged his trunk from out of the closet and began placing his items inside. He tried to pack quickly, but some of his items were more delicate than others. When Harry had finished packing, he shut his trunk and hesitatingly held his wand up in front of his face. He wondered if he could get away with doing magic inside of Hogwarts. Harry knew that the Ministry didn't track wands, since the Ministry hadn't known that it was Dobby - not Harry himself - doing magic at the Dursley's house the summer before second year; however, Harry was still worried about getting another warning letter.

Deciding that the only way he would find out was to actually do some magic, Harry performed a simple Glamour Charm. The charm would change his looks for a few hours, long enough for him to get away and find somewhere to hide out for a while. Once the charm had worn off, Harry would have to be extra careful with who saw him.

After waiting a few moments to see if he would receive a letter from the Ministry, Harry decided that they weren't able to detect underage magic at Hogwarts during the summer. Harry wandered over to the mirror in the bathroom in order to briefly observe his looks. His hair had lengthened to hide his scar, and his raven locks had changed to a dark blonde. His eyes were now a light brown, and a few freckles dotted his face.

Harry walked back into the bedroom after he was satisfied that no one would be able to recognize him. He used his wand one more time in order to make his trunk a little bit lighter before grabbing his trunk and exiting the room. Harry cautiously navigated the halls and kept his ear fine tuned for any movement.

When Harry reached the grounds of Hogwarts, he realized that it would probably be best if he went down to Hogsmeade before signaling the Knight Bus. He knew that if Dumbledore and Snape began looking for him, they might ask the workers on the Knight Bus if they had picked anyone up at Hogwarts. If he did get on the bus at Hogwarts, even though he looked different, Harry knew that the bus drivers could still tell Dumbledore a description of a boy who had gotten on the bus at the school. If they began looking for a boy with that description before the charm wore off, they might be able to find him; however, if they didn't know what he looked like, Harry would have more time to hide. The further away from Hogwarts he could get before signaling the Knight Bus, the better off he would probably be.

Harry transfigured himself a piece of rope from a stick and used the rope to tie his trunk to the broomstick. After securing his trunk, Harry straddled the broom and kicked off from the ground.

Harry flew most of the way to Hogsmeade. Once he had reached the outskirts of the town, Harry landed on the ground and untied the trunk. Taking his wand out of his pocket, Harry raised it above his head and waited for the bus to appear. Within seconds, the bus screeched to a halt in front of him and Stan Shunpike walked out.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus. I'm Stan Shunpike. Let me grab your trunk and place it inside. Where is it that you want to go?"

Harry briefly hesitated before answering. "I would like to go to Diagon Alley, please."

"Alright. Where would you like to sit?" Stan questioned.

Harry pointed out a spot that was away from the front of the bus. As Harry and Stan made their way over to the table, Harry dug some money out of his pocket. After Stan had quoted the price of the bus ride to him, Harry sorted out the coins and dropped the correct change into Stan's open hand.

"If there is anything else that you need, don't hesitate to ask," Stan said before walking back up to the front of the bus. "It shouldn't take too long before we reach your stop. There aren't that many people riding the bus at this hour."

"Thanks," Harry answered distractedly. He settled down on a chair and braced himself for the fast, bumpy takeoff.

_End of flashback_

xXxXxX

As he sat on the bus, Harry's thoughts continued to shift back to the newspaper article. Every time that his mind turned in that direction, however, he forced himself to think about something else. He would have time later in the day to think about what Dumbledore had done, but for now he needed to concentrate on finding a place to stay.

Harry jumped when he noticed that Stan Shunpike was standing beside his chair. The bus had stopped moving, and Harry noticed that they were in front of the Leaky Cauldron.

"We're at Diagon Alley," Stan said. "Have a great day and consider us for your next trip."

Harry gave the man a strained smile as he grabbed his trunk and walked down the bus stairs. He wasn't really sure where he was going to go or what he was going to do, but he knew that he needed to figure it out pretty soon. Since it was only 6:00, there probably wouldn't be that many stores open. He hoped that he would still be able to go to Gringott's though and get some wizarding money exchanged into Muggle money.

Thinking about Gringott's caused Harry to falter in his step. If he went into the bank and gave them Harry Potter's vault key, they would take him to his vault; however, Harry wondered if the goblins would tell Dumbledore that he had been there. Would the goblins care more for customer secrecy, or would they be more concerned with telling the Headmaster of Hogwarts that a young boy had withdrawn money from runaway Harry Potter's vault?

Digging around in his trunk, Harry grabbed his money sack and opened it. There was not a lot of money left, but it might be enough to find him a place to stay for two or three days. If he just exchanged the money that he had on him, he wouldn't have to tell the goblins anything about himself. They would probably forget about him soon enough. He didn't know what he would do, however, once all of the money on him ran out. He would be forced to go back to Gringott's and hope that no one noticed him.

Sighing, Harry decided that it would probably be best to go down to his vault today. If he planned on hiding for a while, he would need plenty of money. Hopefully he would already be hidden somewhere if Dumbledore and Snape found out that his Gringott's account had been active.

Hoping that no one would think that it was strange that a fifteen year old boy was wandering around Diagon Alley by himself at 6:00 in the morning, Harry picked his trunk back up and headed into the Leaky Cauldron. When he opened the doors, he saw that a few early risers were seated around the room eating breakfast. Harry tried to inconspicuously walk to the back of the room, but he was stopped when Tom, the barman, called out to him.

"Hey, young man. Would you like me to watch your trunk for you while you go shopping?"

Harry, realizing that no one was really paying attention to him, walked over to the area where Tom was wiping out glasses. He gently lowered his trunk to the floor and took out a few sickles. When Harry held out the money, Tom shook his head.

"You don't need to pay me, kid. I just thought that you could store your trunk in one of my back rooms until you are done shopping. Do you need to rent a room for the night?"

"No thank you, sir. I just got off the Knight Bus, and once I am done shopping, I'll be going to stay with a friend," Harry lied. "Thanks for doing this for me though. I really appreciate it."

Believing Harry's story, Tom took hold of Harry's trunk and began to haul it into the back room. "You're welcome. I'll still be here when you get back."

"Thanks," Harry replied. He walked over to the door that led to Diagon Alley and stepped up to the brick wall. Once he stood in front of the wall, Harry pulled out his wand and tapped it on the bricks. The doorway slowly materialized in the wall, and Harry was finally able to enter Diagon Alley.

A few people strolled leisurely down the central pathway. Harry wanted to hurry as fast as he could to Gringott's, but he didn't want to draw any more attention to himself than necessary. In order to blend in with the early morning shoppers, Harry occasionally glanced around at the different stores and tried to make himself appear interested in the items that were visible in the windows.

Once Harry reached the doors of Gringott's, he braced himself and took a deep breath before opening the doors. Despite the early hour, goblins were all over the room counting money and filling out paperwork. Harry strode over to the nearest goblin and waited for the goblin to acknowledge him.

"Yes?" the goblin sneered.

"I have a key here, and I want to withdraw some money," Harry nervously responded.

Without another word, the goblin snatched the key from Harry's outstretched hand and beckoned for Harry to follow him. Harry walked behind the goblin and entered the rickety cart that would take him to his vault. Harry wondered why the goblin hadn't asked him for his name, and he wondered why the goblin hadn't even checked to see that the vault key belonged to him. He hoped that the goblins weren't able to see through his disguise.

The cart ride seemed to take longer than it normally did in Harry's mind. He knew that he only had a small amount of time before either Snape or Dumbledore realized he was missing. Once they reached the vault, Harry hurried out of the cart and waited impatiently for the goblin to open the door.

After the vault had been opened, the goblin walked back to the cart and allowed Harry some time alone. Harry quickly entered the vault and scooped handfuls of coins into his bag. He didn't know how much money that he would need, and he wasn't sure how much money he would have after he exchanged the money to Muggle currency; however, he figured that it would be better to have too much money rather than too little.

When Harry had finished filling his money bag, Harry hurriedly closed the vault door and made his way back over to the cart. The goblin shifted over to allow Harry more room to scoot into the cart before the cart suddenly took off. Harry tightly gripped the edges of the cart and leaned into the sharp curves that the cart was taking at high speeds. Normally he would have enjoyed the cart ride, but he just wanted to get out of the bank as soon as possible.

Once the cart reached the ground level of the bank, Harry stepped out of the cart and looked over at the goblin. He wasn't sure where exactly he needed to go in order to exchange his coins.

"Was there something else that you needed?" the goblin asked.

"I would like to change some of this money into Muggle money," responded Harry.

The goblin briefly nodded in understanding as he walked over to one of the counters. When the goblin was seated on a stool behind the desk, he leaned on the top of it and stared down at Harry.

"How much did you want to exchange?"

"Uh…" Harry said. He grabbed several handfuls of coins and deposited them on top of the counter. After making sure that he would still have some wizarding currency left, Harry looked back up at the goblin. "I guess this is what I want to exchange."

Sweeping the coins into a basket, the goblin hopped back off of the stool and moved over to a machine. Interested in what was going to happen, Harry watched as the goblin poured the coins into a funnel in the top of the machine. The coins rattled around as they moved throughout the different chambers in the device. Once the change had finished clanging around, the machine spit out the equivalent amount of money in Muggle currency. The goblin collected the money and brought it over to Harry.

"Thanks," Harry said as he grabbed the money, stuffed it into his bag, and headed out the front doors of the bank.

Once Harry had exited the building, he looked at his watch and saw that it was now 6:30. It had only been an hour and a half since he had woken up, but it seemed like the day should be a lot farther along. Harry didn't know what Snape and Dumbledore would think if he didn't show up for breakfast. Would they think that he was angry at them and was going to eat in the kitchens? When they saw the article in the paper, would they immediately try to find him?

Harry briskly shook his head and cleared his mind of thoughts of Hogwarts. There were a few more things that he needed to do in Diagon Alley before he left. Spotting the optometrist shop, Eye See You, Harry wandered over to that store. When he opened the door, a bell jingled announcing his arrival. An old man with wispy gray hairs and thick spectacles walked into the room from the back.

"Hello, kid. My name is Bromius Cantor. What can I do for you today?"

"Good morning, sir. I was wondering if you had some colored contact lenses. I don't really like wearing my glasses anymore," Harry replied.

"Of course we do. We carry all kinds of contacts in our store. We have some that change color depending on your mood," the man said as he walked over to a display case and gestured for Harry to sit down in front of a mirror. "There are also some contacts that change color depending on the weather. We have contacts which are self-cleaning, and we have ones that change prescription whenever your eyes change…"

The salesman would have continued talking, but Harry felt that he had all of the information that he would probably need. Not only did he want to get contacts to disguise his eye color once the charm wore off, but he also needed to buy some more supplies.

"Thank you, sir, but I only want some light blue contacts. The self-cleaning ones will be fine with me. I am kind of in a hurry right now because I have a lot more shopping to do before I meet my friend later."

"I understand, young man. Take your glasses off for me, and I will determine what strength your contacts will have to be."

Harry slipped the glasses off of his face and held onto them as the old man waved his wand around in front of Harry's face. Harry kept his face still once the man tapped the skin beside Harry's eyes with the end of his wand. A slip of paper appeared in the air, and the man mumbled to himself as he read the numbers on it.

Cantor walked over to a cabinet and rummaged around in it for a few moments before pulling out a few small boxes. Opening the boxes and removing the contents inside, the man set the contacts in front of Harry.

"Have you ever worn contacts before?" Cantor kindly asked Harry.

When Harry shook his head, the man demonstrated to Harry what he would have to do. It took him a few tries, but Harry had finally got the process down. He examined his eyes in the mirror and decided that he really liked wearing contacts.

"How many boxes would you like?" questioned the salesman. "A pair of contacts will last for a few weeks, and then you will have put in some new ones."

Harry grabbed a few boxes and made his way over to the cash register. Once he had made his purchase and thanked the man, Harry stuffed the contacts into his bag and headed back outside. He once again checked his watch and saw that it was almost 7:00. Harry decided that his next stop was going to be a wizarding supermarket.

When Harry entered the store, he stopped to seize a basket before taking off down a random aisle. Harry figured that it would probably be best to stock up on a lot of non-perishable food so that he wouldn't have to go out everyday for his meals. That would reduce his risk of being caught by someone who knew him. He tried to pick out things that he thought he would like without taking a long amount of time. Harry hoped that he could find a way to carry all of this stuff along with his trunk.

Once Harry had packed his basket full of food and drinks, he headed back to the front of the store. The bored teenage female cashier rang up his items methodically while loudly snapping her gum. Harry gritted his teeth in annoyance but stopped himself from yelling at her to stop.

Harry was fascinated, however, whenever he noticed that the girl kept piling more and more stuff in one single sack. The sack never seemed to bulge or tear from everything that it contained. Harry finally had to ask her about it.

"How is the bag able to hold so much?"

The girl raised her eyebrow and answered him like he was stupid. "It is an expandable bag. It will hold how ever many groceries that we place in it. The bag was only designed to hold groceries though. The charm wears off after a few days."

Harry ignored the girl's tone and took a hold of his grocery sack. There was only one more place that he wanted to stop. When he had been heading to Gringott's, Harry had noticed a small clothing store which sold Muggle clothes to wizards. Harry wanted to go inside and take a look around.

When Harry entered the store, From Magical to Muggle, he noticed that the store was empty except for the one salesclerk. The young man was sitting behind a desk, but he eagerly jumped up when he saw that he had a customer.

"Good morning. We don't really get a lot of customers here. Most wizards only wear Muggle clothing whenever they are trying to blend into the Muggle world; however, most of them are too clueless about how to blend in. I had this one man the other day…"

Harry had to interrupt. "I understand. I'm just going to look around for a minute."

The salesman looked disappointed that Harry didn't want his help, but he walked back over to his desk and sat down. Harry gave a relieved sigh and wandered around the store. When he had finished looking, Harry had picked out several jeans that fit, a few hooded shirts, a pair of sunglasses, and a few knitted beanie hats. Harry figured that the beanies and hooded shirts could hide his hair and his scar.

The salesman happily scanned the items and neatly placed the folded items into a bag. Harry quickly thanked the man for the help, paid for his clothes, and then hurriedly escaped the store. Obsessively checking his watch again, Harry saw that it was now after 8:00.

Harry thought that he probably had everything that he would need to hide out for a while. He knew that there would be times when he would need to reenter the wizarding world and see what was going on, so Harry was ready to prepare for anything. His Glamour Charm would eventually go away, and he would be ready when it happened.

Making his way back to the Leaky Cauldron, Harry saw that there were several more people in the room than earlier. He walked over to the counter and got Tom's attention. The man nodded in understanding and made his way over to Harry once he was done taking a woman's food order.

"I see that you did a lot of shopping. Are you ready for your trunk now?" Tom asked.

"Yes, sir. Thanks again," replied Harry.

Whenever Tom returned, Harry opened his trunk and deposited his new things inside. His trunk was getting rather full, so Harry hoped that he wouldn't need to put anything else inside it.

Harry left the Leaky Cauldron and wandered back to the streets of London. Standing at the curb, Harry waved at a taxi. There was one place that Harry had always wanted to visit, and he decided that that would be his next stop.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: I know that not a lot happened in this chapter, but I needed to explain how Harry ran away and what he has been doing. The place where Harry goes next contains an event that is very significant to the story.

Next chapter: We see what is happening at Hogwarts between Snape, Dumbledore, and Lupin. We might also see where Harry winds up (but no promises).


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Just so you aren't confused, this chapter starts out before Snape told Dumbledore and Lupin about Harry running away.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

When Snape had woken up that morning, he had no idea what problems he was about to encounter. As he leisurely got ready, he wondered what new drama would occur that day concerning Potter. The boy needed to learn to obey him and the Headmaster, especially since they were just trying to do what was best for him. He scowled just thinking about Potter's atrocious behavior towards him and Albus. Snape knew that Potter had a right to be angry about the abuse that he had suffered, but they were now attempting to correct that situation. If nothing was done, Potter would just be returned to the household.

As soon as Snape walked into the Great Hall, he immediately knew that something was wrong. Potter's chair had been overturned, and there were papers strewn all over the floor. His first thought was that the boy had been kidnapped, but he decided to look more carefully at the evidence before reaching that conclusion.

Slowly walking over to the table, Snape calculatingly allowed his eyes to absorb all of the details. Half of Potter's food had been eaten. When Snape gingerly touched the food, he noticed that it was rather cold. The boy had apparently been there some time earlier, and he had left abruptly for reasons as of yet unknown. It seemed strange to him that the boy would have been up so early.

Bending over, Snape began to gather the newspaper together. Dread filled his stomach as the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. As he picked up the last paper from the floor, the article on the front page caught his eye. He quickly scanned the article and saw that the newspaper had gotten the story of Potter's abuse.

Cursing under his breath, Snape hurriedly made his way to Potter's room. He had never been inside Potter's room while the boy had been there, but the Headmaster had been sure to tell him where the room was in case of an emergency. When he found the room, Snape flung the door open and rushed inside. It was quiet inside the room and nothing looked to have been disturbed.

"Potter," Snape cautiously called as he walked into the boy's bedroom.

Once he walked into the room, Snape saw that the bed was unmade. Drawers had been left hanging out of the dressers, and the closet door was standing wide open. Potter's trunk was nowhere in sight, and all of his personal belongings were gone. Potter had left Hogwarts.

Snape shook his head viciously in anger. He could not believe that the boy had the audacity to run away. He had spent his personal time talking with Potter and trying to help the boy deal with the abuse. Not because he felt an obligation to Albus, but he had talked to Potter because he genuinely wanted to help the boy through this tough time. He had been reluctant to talk with James Potter's son at first; however, he had eventually realized that the boy was very different from his father.

While the boy was away from Hogwarts, he was also in danger from being captured by Death Eaters. The Dark Lord wanted nothing more than to find the boy and kill him. Even though the newspaper had been scarce with details, it would soon become apparent to the wizarding world that Potter was no longer with his relatives. They would want to know where he was, and they would probably find out that Potter was actually missing. When the Dark Lord found out that Potter was no longer at his relatives, the Dark Lord would use all of his powers and resources trying to find the boy. Potter had been lucky in the past when he had escaped the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord, but his luck could only last for so long.

Snape stormed back out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. He needed to alert Albus to the situation immediately. If they could hurry, they might be able to find the boy quickly. Potter couldn't have been gone for very long, and he surely couldn't have gotten very far. There were only a few ways in which he could get away from the school. Also, everyone in the wizarding world recognized the boy. He would especially be on the mind of witches and wizards once they read the newspaper. Everyone would be in an uproar if they saw the boy around somewhere. If someone recognized him, that would make it easier to find him; however, hopefully they would find him before someone saw him.

When he entered the Headmaster's office, he instantly noticed Lupin sitting in a chair clutching the newspaper article tightly in his hands. Both men in the office turned to see who the intruder was. Snape ignored the werewolf and concentrated his attention on Dumbledore.

"Potter has run away, Albus," Snape said without hesitation.

Lupin's mouth dropped open in shock and surprise, while Dumbledore sagged visibly in his chair. Neither man had seen this turn of events coming. They had been trying to recover from the shock of seeing the newspaper article; however, they now had something else to deal with.

"Are you sure?" Lupin shakily questioned.

"I don't think that I would have said 'Potter has run away' if I wasn't one hundred percent sure that Potter had run away," the Potions Master snapped. This whole thing was getting on his nerves as it was, but he didn't want to have to deal with Lupin as well.

The werewolf angrily stood up and opened his mouth to reply when Dumbledore quickly intervened. "Gentlemen, please control yourselves. Neither of you are helping matters. Severus, please explain everything to us."

Lupin threw a disgusted look at Snape before sitting back down. Snape began to tell his story. He explained everything from entering the Great Hall to finding the newspaper article to discovering Harry's empty room. During the story, Remus's looks of hatred directed towards Snape transformed into a look of worry.

When Snape fell silent, everyone stayed quiet for a few moments in order to absorb the information. Lupin opened and closed his mouth several times as if he couldn't decide what he wanted to say first. After doing this for a while, he finally spoke out.

"I still don't see how the newspaper found out about the story. I didn't even know what was going on."

Dumbledore pensively stared ahead. "I honestly don't know. I didn't go to the Ministry with this information, even though I tried to convince Harry that that would be the best option. Maybe the Ministry found out that Harry was gone from the Dursley's house and they went there to question his relatives about it…"

Snape interrupted. "We can talk about all of this later. I think that finding Potter right now holds precedence."

Nodding in agreement, Dumbledore responded. "You are right, Severus. The more time that Harry is gone, the harder it will be for us to find him. Not to mention the fact that he has the unfortunate ability of finding trouble all of the time."

"Wait. I do want to find Harry, but I have to know something. How long have you known about the abuse, and why wasn't I informed?" Remus asked.

"When Severus was on duty watching Harry a few days ago, he noticed that Harry was limping and in considerable pain. Severus brought him back here, and he was been here since then. I planned on telling a select group of people eventually, but I wanted to concentrate on Harry first. He was having a hard time dealing with events, and he didn't want to tell Wizarding Child Services about the abuse."

"Alright," Remus eventually responded. He would have liked to have been informed about everything that had been going on, but he could understand why the Headmaster hadn't said anything yet. "So, what do we do now? How are we going to find him?"

"I think that we need to call together the Order members and inform them of the situation. They can help us find Harry. I will need the two of you to help me get a hold of everyone," Dumbledore said.

They both nodded in understanding. The three of them made a quick list of who needed to be contacted, and then they divided the list between them. Remus and Severus left the office in order to find separate fireplaces to contact the Order members with Floo calls.

When Snape contacted each person, many of them were oblivious to the newspaper article. They were curious as to what was going on, but all Snape would tell them was that there was an emergency situation. That statement caused them to quickly agree to meet at Hogwarts as soon as possible. There were, however, a few members that had already read the article and were demanding to know what was going on. Frustration crept into Snape's voice as he tried to quell their questions without giving away any information.

As soon as Snape saw the fifth name on the list, he mentally groaned and cursed Albus. He did not want to deal with these people. Why couldn't Lupin have contacted them? He braced himself as he threw in the Floo powder and called out his destination.

When his head entered the fireplace, he saw that the living room was empty. He could dimly hear the soft sounds of voices in the next room. Apparently they hadn't already heard the news, or there would have been shouting and chaos in the house.

"Hello," Snape loudly called. The voices in the other room stopped, and eventually Mr. and Mrs. Weasley entered.

Surprised upon seeing whose head was in the fireplace, Mrs. Weasley answered, "Good morning, Severus. What can we do for you?"

"Albus is calling an emergency Order meeting," Snape vaguely replied. He hoped that they wouldn't ask too many questions or cause too many problems.

Both Weasleys stiffened when they heard that statement. Having an emergency Order meeting was never a good thing. Mr. Weasley concernedly asked, "What's going on? Does it have something to do with You-Know-Who?"

"I can't say too much right now. You just need to get over to Hogwarts as soon as possible," said Snape.

When Mr. Weasley began to say something, he was halted by a voice shouting in the kitchen. Alarmed, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley quickly hurried towards the voice. Snape wasn't certain what was going on, but he had a fairly good idea. Apparently the Weasley children had just discovered the newspaper article. He wished that he could just pull his head out of the fireplace and get back to Hogwarts, but he knew he couldn't leave just yet.

Snape could hear the distant voices rising in surprise and horror. Within seconds, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley returned with Ron and Ginny in tow. The children were still in their pajamas, so they hadn't been awake for long. Their eyes widened when they saw their professor. When everyone had entered the room, they all began to talk at once.

"Is Harry okay?"

"Is the newspaper article true?"

"How long has this been going on?"

"Where is Harry now?"

"Quiet!" Snape roared. Everyone abruptly stopped talking in shock. "Now, I don't have time to go into details. Molly, Arthur, you are needed at Hogwarts. Everything will be explained there."

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley understood the need for urgency. They began to gather everything together. Ron and Ginny started running to the stairs so that they could get dressed and go along. Mrs. Weasley's voice stopped them.

"You are both going to stay here…"

"Mum," Ron disbelievingly responded. "Harry is my best friend. I want to go see him and make sure that he is okay."

Mr. Weasley looked unsurely over at Snape. "Would it be okay if we brought the children along? I don't like leaving them here alone. The kids can stay with Harry during the Order meeting."

Snape did not know how to reply to that inquiry. He definitely didn't have time to explain to them that Potter was missing. That would just cause them to start talking all at once again, and it would cause more of a delay in finding the boy. If he said that it would be fine, he could have Albus deal with the situation when they arrived at Hogwarts. Besides, maybe the children would know where Potter would be likely to go.

"Fine," replied Snape shortly, "but hurry."

When Snape entered the Great Hall at Hogwarts after he was finished contacting everyone on his list, he saw that Lupin and the Headmaster were already seated. Several people were scattered around the room, and they were questioning each other on what information the other person knew. There were gasps as those who didn't already know about Potter's abuse were quickly filled in by their neighbor.

Once Snape had taken a seat beside Dumbledore and Lupin, the Headmaster asked, "Did you get a hold of everyone?"

"Yes, they will all be here," answered Snape. He scowled over at Albus and continued speaking, "I would have appreciated, however, not having to inform the Weasleys about the meeting."

Remus smirked when he heard the conversation. Even though he would have been uncomfortable as well informing the Weasleys about Harry's abuse, he still thought that it was funny imagining Snape having to talk to the Weasleys.

Dumbledore, with a slight twinkle in his eye, started to respond; however, he stopped when he noticed the arrival of the four Weasleys. Ginny and Ron kept glancing around as if searching for Harry, but they quickly realized that he was not in the room. Dumbledore stood up and walked over to them.

"Albus," Mrs. Weasley breathed. "How is Harry? The children and I want to see him. If you don't want the children to sit in on the meeting, they can go stay with Harry now."

Dumbledore gently steered Mrs. Weasley to a seat. He gestured for the rest of the family to sit down as well. "I'm afraid that I have some bad news. I will explain everything in a few moments to everyone. Ginny, Ron, you can sit in on the meeting as well. There are things that you will need to hear. You may even be able to help us."

The Weasleys looked like they wanted to ask some more questions, but the Headmaster gave them a small smile and eased himself away from the group. Everyone quieted down when Dumbledore stood in front of everyone and raised his hands for silence.

"Thank you for coming here so quickly on such short notice. I'm sure that by now you have all heard about the newspaper article saying that Harry Potter has been abused by his relatives. I am sorry to say that the article is true."

Even though everyone had already heard the news, they still began to murmur amongst themselves. It was hard for them to imagine that the Boy-Who-Lived had been subjected to that kind of a lifestyle, especially the fact that the boy had suffered alone in silence.

Dumbledore loudly cleared his throat before speaking again. "Severus rescued Harry from his relatives a few days ago and brought him back here. I don't know how the Daily Prophet found out about the abuse, but we will take care of that issue later. There is something right now that is more important. When Harry read the article this morning, he was so upset that he ran away from Hogwarts."

Several mouths dropped open in surprise before everyone began to noisily talk to each other. Ron and Ginny had initially been shocked upon hearing that Snape had been the one to help Harry, but they began to shout out questions when they heard that Harry was gone.

Patiently waiting out the noise, Dumbledore stood silently just staring across the room. Once everyone realized that they were not going to get any answers until they quieted down, they began to stop talking. The Headmaster waited a few more moments in order to make sure that everyone would stay silent.

"It is important that I explain everything to you as quickly as possible. I know that all of this is so sudden and unpredictable, but I ask that you please not interrupt. If you have a question, please raise your hand. Now, we don't know exactly when Harry left, but it was some time this morning. We don't know where he is, where he is going, or how he left the school. I called all of you here in order to help us find him. It is crucial that he is found soon. Voldemort will be looking for him once he knows that Harry is missing."

Snape spoke up. "Since he can't Apparate, it limits the distance that he could have traveled. He might have flown or used Floo powder. We also know that he is aware of several secret passages that lead to Hogsmeade."

All heads turned around when Ron tentatively said, "When Harry ran away from his relative's house the summer before his third year, he used the Knight Bus."

Dumbledore smiled at Ron. "Good thinking, Mr. Weasley. Does anyone else have any suggestions?"

A few more people gave some suggestions. Once Dumbledore realized that everyone had exhausted all possibilities, he turned once again to the Weasleys. "Ron, Ginny, do either of you have any idea where Harry might have gone? Has he said anything to you lately that would give you any clues?"

Both Ron and Ginny sadly shook their heads. Ron briefly answered, "Harry wrote to me the other day and said that he had been taken away from his relative's house, but he didn't say why. I have no idea where he might be"

"All right," responded Dumbledore. "We will need everyone to work together in trying to find Harry. I want everyone to discreetly ask around. Some of you go to Hogsmeade, some of you visit Diagon Alley, and some of you question the drivers of the Knight Bus. Everyone needs to pick where they will go, and what they will do once they are there. Everyone is going to have a different job."

At the end of his speech, the Order members were nodding in agreement. They sat discussing for the next few minutes who would do what. Once everything had been decided, the group broke up and left Hogwarts.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Some people are wondering how the newspaper got a hold of Harry's story. That information won't be revealed until later.

Next chapter: Harry will definitely be in it. We see where he has gone.


	11. Chapter 11

Harry shifted uneasily in the backseat of the cab. When he had asked the driver if Godric's Hollow was near London, the driver had immediately answered affirmatively. Ever since Harry was eleven and had found out that his parents had been murdered, he had wanted to visit the house where they had lived and where Voldemort had killed them. He had heard that they had lived in Godric's Hollow, but he never knew where exactly the town was located. Harry didn't know how he was going to find the house once he reached the town; however, he wasn't going to spend too much time thinking about it.

The car had been driving for about twenty minutes before the driver glanced in the rearview mirror at the boy. "We are nearing Godric's Hollow. Where would you like to be dropped off?"

Harry started to respond that the man could just drop him off at the nearest populated area of the town; however, an idea suddenly formed in his mind. Curious, Harry asked, "How familiar are you with the town, sir?"

"I know most of the area around London pretty well. You have to know the area in order to be a cab driver," the man replied.

Harry carefully chose his words. "I'm doing some sightseeing during the summer now that school is out. I heard that two people were murdered in Godric's Hollow about fourteen years ago. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"Are you talking about the Potters?" asked the driver.

Perking up and sitting straighter, Harry turned his full attention to the man. "That name sounds about right. What do you know about the murders?"

"It was very strange," the man answered. His voice got excited as he eagerly relayed the story. "I remember that it was the talk of everyone for a long time back then. Neighbors said that there was a lot of noise and bright light that night. When the police got there, the body of the man and his wife were lying on the floor dead. They had a baby, but the kid wasn't there when the cops showed up. Supposedly he was sent to live with some relatives. The strange thing about the bodies is that the coroners couldn't tell the cause of death. It is a mystery. I've driven by the house myself, and it is a bit eerie. The house now sits there empty. People say that it is haunted by the ghost of the Potters."

Harry intently listened to the story. He enjoyed hearing about his parents, even though the topic was a bit depressing. It was also interesting to hear about the story from a Muggle's perspective. Harry couldn't believe his luck of finding a cab driver who not only knew about the murder of his parents, but had also visited the house before.

"Would you please take me to that house, sir? I think that it would be fascinating to visit."

"Will do," the cab driver cheerfully answered. Silence fell between the two as Harry comfortably sat back and stared out the window. He was a little nervous about visiting the house, but he knew that this was something that he really wanted to do.

When the driver finally pulled into the neighborhood, he nodded his head in the direction of a house that sat at the end of the road slightly away from the rest of the houses. "That's the house right there. Do you want me to let you out, or did you just want me to drive by it?"

"Let me out. I'm going to wander around here for a while," Harry responded.

"Alright, kid," answered the driver. He slowed down and parked next to the sidewalk. When the car came to a full stop, Harry opened the door and walked around to the back of the car. The driver opened his door and came over to help Harry get his trunk out. Once the trunk was sitting on the ground, Harry pulled out his money bag.

"Thanks for the ride. How much do I owe you?"

After Harry had handed over the money, he grabbed his trunk and stepped onto the sidewalk. He gave the cab driver a smile and waited until the man had driven away. Once the cab was out of sight, Harry turned his interested gaze to the house. The house had apparently been neglected for the past fourteen years. The front door had been boarded up, and despite the brightness of the daylight, the house had a hint of darkness. The front yard had weeds growing in it, yet Harry knew that some form of magic was probably at work since the weeds weren't as pervasive as they should have been.

Harry glanced inconspicuously around as he wandered with his trunk in the direction of the house. He didn't want anyone to see him attempting to enter the building. There were a few children playing in front of their houses, but they weren't paying any attention to Harry. Harry slowly continued walking towards the house; however, he tried not to show his interest in the house. When Harry was sure that no one was looking, he quickly walked across the lawn and around to the back. He hoped that there was a way for him to enter the house from the back. He didn't really want to break into the house, but he knew that he would if he didn't have any other choice.

When Harry entered the backyard, he abruptly came to a stop and dropped his trunk. Stunned upon seeing a rusted play set, Harry slowly walked over to it. The play set consisted of a slide and some baby swings. Parts of the play set were broken off, but Harry sadly smiled at seeing this small part of his missing childhood.

Realizing that there was much more to see, Harry grabbed his trunk once again and walked over to the back door. This door had also been boarded over, but Harry hoped that he could pry the wood off of the door. Surely the boards were rotted somewhat by now.

Harry grasped one of the pieces of wood strongly in his hands. He took a deep breath before giving the board a sharp tug. The board offered a little bit of resistance, but Harry was able to rip it off quickly. There were only a few more pieces of wood that he would have to take off. By the time that all of the wood had come off of the door, Harry stood crouched over, waiting until his breathing had settled down. It had taken a little more time and effort than he had expected.

Once Harry had regained his breath, he closed his eyes for a second in order to prepare himself. It was going to be hard entering the house; however, he knew he could do this. As Harry opened the door, he dragged his trunk in the house before dropping it inside. Looking around curiously, Harry saw that he was inside the kitchen. He slowly wandered around the room and let his hand lightly travel over the surfaces of the counter. Dust covered everything, but Harry didn't let that bother him. He was more concerned with absorbing every detail of the house that he could. Harry had no idea when, if ever, he would be able to return.

When Harry left the kitchen, he found himself in a hallway. Harry traveled down the hall and entered the living room. All of his parent's personal effects, such as photographs and knick knacks, had been taken out of the room; however, the furniture was still sitting in the same place that it had been before.

As Harry walked throughout the whole downstairs, he made sure to spend plenty of time in each room. He didn't really have anywhere else to go. Harry didn't know where he was going to stay once he was through exploring the house, but he decided that that decision could be made later. It would have been nice to stay in his parent's house, but not only was the house filthy, but there wasn't any electricity or running water.

Harry finally finished looking around downstairs. He hesitated upon reaching the staircase. Harry knew that his and his parent's bedrooms would be up there. Seeing those rooms would be more personal than anything else that he had seen in the house so far.

Realizing that he had not come this far just to chicken out, Harry slowly put his foot on the first stair. He hoped that the staircase was not rotten. He didn't really want to fall through the stairs, get stuck in the stairs, or hurt himself on them. Harry lightly ran his hand over the handrail. He knew that the rail was probably likely to break away from the wall if he put too much pressure on it, but it was instinct to use the handrail.

When Harry got to the first door on the left of the upstairs hallway, he cautiously opened it. As the door creaked open on its hinges, Harry noticed that he was standing in his parent's bedroom. Like the other rooms that he had meandered around in, Harry saw that all of the personal belongings were missing. Harry told himself that he would have to ask Dumbledore when he eventually went back to the school about where his parent's things were. Maybe they had another vault where everything was placed after their deaths.

Harry shuffled around the room and hungrily took in every detail. He stood in front of the mirror and stared at his reflection. He saw that he was a little bit pale, but he thought that he was fine otherwise. Quickly looking away from the mirror, Harry continued gazing around. He fixed his stare for several seconds on each object in the room: the bed, dressers, and empty closet. Harry spent some time peering into the closet, looking under the bed, and opening each dresser drawer. Nothing was in each of those places except for a few dust bunnies.

Wanting to continue staying in his parent's room, Harry reluctantly continued down the hall. He entered the next closest room and stuttered to a halt when he realized that he was in his baby room. There was a crib sitting against the wall with a broken mobile lying inside. The walls were painted a pale blue, and a changing table sat in one corner of the room. Other than a dresser, the room was fairly empty.

Harry didn't know exactly where his father had died, but he figured that his mother had probably been murdered in this room. Tears filled Harry's eyes, yet Harry refused to allow them to fall. Voldemort had caused him a lot of pain in his short life, and Harry knew that the man would not stop pursuing him until one of them was dead. Anger built up in Harry's body just thinking about the heartaches that Voldemort had caused. His parents were dead, Sirius was dead, and even Cedric was dead. Harry himself had almost died several times because of the obsession that this madman had for him.

Scrubbing the tears away from his eyes, Harry lingered in the room for a few minutes longer. After he had spent some more time in the room, Harry decided that it would probably be best for him to leave this room. It only brought sad thoughts to his mind. Continuing down the hall, Harry reached the last room of the tour.

When he entered the room, Harry realized that it was his parent's office. There was a giant desk directly in front of him, and empty bookshelves lined the walls. Harry wandered around the room for a few minutes before going over to the desk and sitting down in the chair behind it. The chair groaned with his weight, but thankfully it didn't crash to the floor. Harry figured that there wasn't anything in the drawers, but he opened them anyway. When Harry was finally closing the last drawer, he shut it a little too hard. Hearing a strange sound, Harry furrowed his brow while pulling the drawer all the way out of the desk. He kept his eyes trained on the hole as he crouched down beside it and peered inside.

There was nothing in it, but Harry reached his hand into the hole anyway. He fingered the panel at the back of the desk before creating a fist and knocking on the wood. A hollow sound reverberated throughout the quiet room, and Harry faintly grinned in surprise. Slowly running his fingers over the panel, Harry finally found a slight groove in the wood. Anticipation built up in Harry even though he tried to tell himself that the secret hiding place was probably empty after all of these years. Whoever had emptied the house had most likely discovered it.

Trying not to become too disappointed if the hole was empty, Harry put his fingernail in the groove and lifted the panel out of the desk. Even though not a lot of light reached inside the hole, Harry could faintly see the outlines of some kind of object. His hand shook slightly as he reached inside and grasped the object. Once he had removed the item, he saw that it was a book. After replacing the secret panel and the desk drawer, Harry took the book over to the window. Using the daylight streaming in through the glass panes, Harry examined the book.

The book was hard bound, and the front cover contained no words. When he turned to the first page, Harry nearly dropped the book in shock. Once he had somewhat recovered himself, his knuckles turned white as he tightly clutched the book in his hands. His eyes continued to stare at the neat cursive handwriting in the middle of the page. The words "Lily's Diary" continued to circle through his mind. Here was a book that contained the private thoughts and feelings of his mother. Harry did not have anything that belonged to his mother, so finding something like this was very precious to him.

Harry tenderly ran his finger down the page. He really wanted to read the book, but it would probably be best if he waited a while. Visiting the house where his parents had been murdered had been hard for him; however, reading his mother's diary, especially if there was mention of the days leading up to his parent's deaths, would be worse. Deciding that he would attempt to read some of the book later, Harry took one last longing look around before heading back downstairs.

When Harry re-entered the kitchen, he walked over to his trunk and opened the lid. He grabbed one of his old shirts and gently wrapped the diary inside of it. Harry didn't want the book to get ripped or torn while everything was jostled around in the trunk. Once he had placed it inside trunk and closed the lid, Harry stood up and remained still for a few moments. He didn't have anywhere to go or to stay. Harry hoped that there was a hotel nearby where he could stay for a while: a hotel that wouldn't ask too many questions about a kid staying by himself.

Wanting to escape the house for a bit, Harry decided to wander around the neighborhood. He could see what kind of area this was and what kind of things there were to do. Harry thought that it would probably be best to just leave his trunk in the house until he had found somewhere to spend the night. He would just have to be careful when he left and re-entered the house so that no one became suspicious about him or called the police.

Creeping around the side of the house, Harry slowly peered around. He noticed that there weren't too many people outside. Nonchalantly strolling to the sidewalk, Harry began to walk away from the deserted house. Several people looked at him as he passed their houses, but no one had noticed him leave the Potter's household. Harry tried to act friendly to the neighbors by smiling and sometimes waving. Apparently the people in the neighborhood were nice to strangers because they greeted him back and said hello.

Reaching the end of the neighborhood, Harry randomly decided to turn left and walk in that direction. He had no idea where he was going, but he had several hours to kill until nightfall. He might as well spend the time exploring the town where his parents had lived. The neighborhood had apparently been close to the center of town because he passed several stores while he walked. People were leisurely strolling down the sidewalks and shopping. Harry interestedly glanced into the stores as he walked by, but he didn't stop or go into any of them.

Harry continued walking in that direction for a few more minutes. He saw two inns that he might be able to rent a room in later, but for now, he just wanted to continue looking around. Harry started to walk back in the direction from which he had originally come from. When he reached his parent's neighborhood, Harry walked past it and began going down the road which ran the other way.

As Harry was walking, he came upon a side road which he felt compelled to go down. He had only been walking for a few minutes when he saw a sign which stilled his whole body. The sign was above a large gate and it read: "Godric's Hollow Cemetery." Harry did not move a muscle for several seconds; he just continued to stare at the sign. He did not know if his parents had been buried here or if they were buried somewhere else.

Harry had already experienced several emotional moments in a short period of time that day, and he wasn't sure if he could force his body to move into that graveyard and search for his parent's tombstone. While he stood there, Harry allowed his mind to agonize over his options before finally deciding that he should go inside. He didn't know how he would be able to find that certain tombstone out of all the ones inside, but he hoped that he would feel led to go a certain way once he entered the cemetery.

The gate creaked open as he slowly pushed it forward, but Harry wasn't paying attention to the noise. He let his sharp gaze go back and forth as he wandered aimlessly throughout the graveyard. Harry continued to walk around the area for a long time, and just as he was about to give up the search, he saw the name Potter. Rushing over to the tombstone, Harry felt a little bit disappointed when he noticed that it didn't belong to his parents. Instead, there was a different name inscribed on it. Harry's disappointment faded slightly when he realized that this person might have been one of his relatives. He figured that he couldn't know for sure since he wasn't really aware of everyone on his family tree.

Since he had spotted one Potter gravestone, Harry hoped that his parents might have been buried nearby. He kept his eyes peeled as he quickly scanned all of the grave markers in the vicinity. His breath caught in his throat when he finally saw the names "Lily and James Potter." Slowly walking over to the stone, Harry eventually reached the marker and sank to his knees in front of it.

The tombstone was rather plain, but Harry didn't really care. Underneath the names of his parents, he saw the dates of their births and deaths. Other than those pieces of information, the stone did not say anything else. Harry remained seated in front of the grave for several minutes with his head bowed.

When Harry finally looked up, his eyes were blazing in his face. He stared at the tombstone and spoke, "Mum, Dad, I wish that I could have spent more time with you. Voldemort has taken a lot of people from me. The prophecy says that one of us must kill the other, and I swear that I will do everything in my power to stop him."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: Several things that I want to mention. First off, I know that this chapter contained a lot of angst, but I like reading stories that do. Secondly, I have no idea where Godric's Hollow is supposed to be located, so for the sake of my story, it is going to be near London (since Harry was in Diagon Alley earlier). Thirdly, Harry and Snape will eventually be reunited, but it probably won't be for a few more chapters. I don't think that anyone will be able to guess how they happen to meet. Also, thanks for the reviews.


	12. Chapter 12

Snape was getting very angry with every passing day. The Order had been searching for Potter for five days, but they hadn't found him yet. He could not believe that a fifteen year old boy was able to escape and fool people more than twice his age. They had looked in all of the obvious places; however, no one had reported seeing the boy. No one was sure where they needed to search for him now.

The Order had tried to keep the news of Potter's disappearance out of the papers, but the noisy reporters had discovered people close to Potter wandering around different areas and searching for someone. The newspapers had finally realized that the Boy-Who-Lived was missing. Every day The Daily Prophet continued to write new stories about the abuse by the Dursleys and the disappearance of Potter. The Headmaster was constantly being barraged by questions from the Ministry and the Prophet. The Ministry wanted to know why Harry had been taken away from the Dursley's abuse without their knowledge. Fudge had demanded that the Ministry be kept informed about any updates in the search for the boy.

Snape sneered just thinking about the idiotic Ministry. He knew that the Ministry was only worried about its own image rather than actually worrying about Potter's welfare. Since the public now knew that Potter had been telling the truth all along about the Dark Lord's return, they pretended that their disbelief and distrust in the boy had never occurred. The Ministry wanted Potter back in order to make themselves look good.

Since Potter's disappearance, Snape had been keeping a low profile. He had spent some time looking for Potter, but he had to be careful so that neither the Dark Lord nor the Death Eaters could discover what he was doing. If the Dark Lord found out, Snape thought that he might be able to say that Dumbledore had forced him to look for the boy; however, he would have a hard time explaining why he had not told the Dark Lord as soon as it had occurred. There had not been a meeting for a while, but he figured that there might be one soon. He would be expected to explain everything he knew about the circumstances surrounding Potter being at Hogwarts and the disappearance of the boy.

Snape tried to take his mind off of Potter in order to concentrate on the potion that he was making. He hadn't had a lot of free time in the last few days to spend some time alone. Many of the Order members were staying at Hogwarts, including the Weasleys. He tried his hardest to avoid the two youngest children, but they were always wandering around looking for updates on Potter. They had even contacted Granger after the first day, and she had been allowed to join the group at Hogwarts soon afterwards. The only good thing about the situation was that the children were too concerned about Potter that they weren't causing any trouble like they normally did.

When Snape had originally searched for Potter, he had used Weasley's suggestion about the Knight Bus. He had strode quickly outside of Hogwarts grounds and briskly whipped his wand into the air.

_-0-0-0-0-0_

_Flashback:_

The bus hurriedly braked to a stop in front of him and Snape wasted no time in getting onto it. Stan had started to climb down the bus steps in order to greet the new passenger, but he quickly scrambled back up the stairs when Snape brushed past him. The welcome words died in Stan's throat when he saw that the passenger was his old Potion's Master, who did not look happy at all.

"Where…" Stan croaked. He cleared his throat and forced himself to finish talking. "Where did you need to go, Professor?"

"Diagon Alley and make it quick. I have important business to attend to," he snapped.

Stan nodded with wide eyes. He rushed to the front in order to relay the information to the driver Ernie. Once Ernie had begun to drive again, Snape looked back over at Stan and crooked his finger so that Stan would come back over to him. Stan noticed Snape trying to get his attention, so he trudged his feet and reluctantly made his way in that direction.

"Yes, sir?" Stan questioned softly.

"How has business been this morning? Have you had a lot of passengers?" Snape replied while staring intently into the man's eyes.

Confused, Stan stammered out an answer. He didn't know why Snape would want to know something like that, but he wasn't about to question the man. "We haven't had very many people wanting a ride this early in the morning. Our business usually picks up later on in the day."

Snape continued to stare unblinkingly into Stan's eyes. He was using Legilimency in order to see what information he could get out of the man without asking specific questions about Potter.

"Have you picked up anyone near Hogwarts lately? Anyone that I might know?" Snape replied as he tried to steer the conversation in a certain direction.

Stan hoped that Snape would finish with the questions soon and allow him to go sit back down. He guessed that the man was just making conversation until they arrived at Diagon Alley. He didn't really know why Snape would want to talk to him though. After all, he had been a terrible potions student, and Snape had never passed the chance to comment on his poor skills.

After thinking for a few seconds, Stan answered. "Now that you mention it, we had a young boy ride the bus this morning from Hogsmeade. He was carrying his trunk with him. That's the only one we have picked up today from that area…"

Interested, Snape abruptly interrupted. "This boy…do you know who he was? Can you describe him to me? I might know him. He could be one of my students."

Nervously, Stan continued to talk. "Well, he had blonde hair and a few freckles. He looked in his mid-teens. I don't really remember much else about him. He got on the bus pretty early though. I'd say that it was a little before six when he got on. I wondered what a boy his age would be doing out this early alone, especially in times like these."

Snape concentrated on finding an image of this boy in Stan's mind. He was able to see the image without a lot of trouble or effort. Focusing on the picture of the boy, Snape couldn't immediately tell if it was Potter or not. It wouldn't surprise him if Potter had used some kind of spell to disguise himself. The boy had used magic during prior summers, and he would certainly have been able to do it at Hogwarts without anyone noticing.

When the bus came to a stop somewhere, Stan jerked and gazed out of the window. He saw that a little old lady was patiently waiting for someone to help her with her baggage. Stan timidly looked back at Snape.

"I need to get back to work, Professor. We should be at your stop soon," Stan quickly said before fleeing.

Snape smirked at the obvious discomfort that he had caused the man. The smirk faded, however, when he finally came to the conclusion that Potter had definitely used the bus that very morning. It was very unlikely that another teenage boy had gotten onto the Knight Bus that early in the morning that close to Hogwarts. All doubt had dissipated in his mind that the boy was anyone other than Potter. His eyes narrowed as he realized that he couldn't wait to find the boy and give him a piece of his mind.

He spent the rest of his journey contemplating what he would do upon reaching Diagon Alley. It was very possible that Potter might not even still be there. If Potter had moved on to another area, he wasn't sure where else the boy might go. Hopefully he would be able to find more clues of Potter's existence in Diagon Alley.

The bus eventually stopped in front of the Leaky Cauldron. He got some amusement watching Shunpike avoid his eyes and mutter a hurried goodbye. Snape discreetly walked into the Leaky Cauldron and continuously scanned the crowd. Despite his quiet entrance, the barman spotted his arrival and jovially waved him over.

"How are you today, Professor Snape?" Tom said.

"I am fine," Snape brusquely answered. "And you?"

"Can't complain," Tom replied. "I saw in the paper this morning that the poor Potter boy had been abused by his relatives. Sad business, that is. I realize that he is one of your students. Do you have any idea how the boy is doing?"

Snape put a look of disdain on his face. "Why would I care what happens to the Potter brat? I have other business to take care of. I am looking for a boy who I believed came here early this morning, about 6:00. He had blonde hair, freckles, and he was carrying his trunk with him. I don't know if you saw him, but…"

Recognition flashed on Tom's face. "Of course I saw that boy. I notice everything that goes on in here. He came through earlier this morning but left not long afterwards. Said he was staying with a friend. He seemed polite enough…"

"Thank you for your help," Snape interrupted. He had found out all of the information that the barman could probably tell him. He needed to leave the Leaky Cauldron, inform Dumbledore about what he had found, and spread the news to the rest of the Order so that they could continue on the trail that Potter had unknowingly left.

Once he had exited the Leaky Cauldron, Snape slipped quietly into a side alley and, with an unobtrusive glance around, he Apparated to the gates outside of Hogwarts. He impatiently waited for the gates to acknowledge him and let him inside. When he had finally entered the school grounds, Snape hurried up the steps and made his way towards the Headmaster's office.

Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk and working busily on paperwork. He would have liked to be out looking for Harry, but he knew that he needed to stay at Hogwarts in order to keep updated on any progress. The Headmaster was keeping the search party coordinated as well as warding off the press and the Ministry. As soon as Snape entered his office, Dumbledore quickly looked up with a hopeful look on his face.

"Well? How is the search going? You must have found out something or else you would not be back so soon."

The Headmaster quieted and waited to hear whether the news would be good or bad. He trusted that if anyone could find Harry, Snape might be the one to do it. The man was good as a spy, and he had been able to fool Voldemort all of these years.

Snape settled into a chair and recounted everything that he had learned so far. "I believe that Potter used a Glamour Charm before leaving Hogwarts. He must have gone to Hogsmeade before hailing the Knight Bus. I had a talk with Stan Shunpike, and I was able to find out a description of what Potter looked like and where the boy went. He visited Diagon Alley, and the barman at the Leaky Cauldron even remembers the boy. That is pretty much all of the information that I have been able to acquire. The only other thing that I do know is that Potter has already left Diagon Alley; however, I do not know where he has gone."

Hearing a small piece of good news concerning Harry, Dumbledore cheered up a little bit. A relieved look passed across his face. "So, we are well on our way to finding Harry. That is excellent. Good job, Severus. Give me the description that you have of Harry, and I will pass the information on to the rest of the Order."

_End flashback_

-0-0-0-0-0-0

Snape had been sure that they would find the boy soon after tracing his route to Diagon Alley. He thought that knowing the boy's disguise would help their quest even more. Frustration mounted inside of him, however, as the days passed and there was still no sign of Potter. It seemed like they had reached a dead end. With every day that continued, the trail kept growing more and more cold.

Apparently, some of the Order members had found out the exact shops that the boy had gone into. Potter had been stocking up on food and clothing. For impulsively leaving Hogwarts after reading the article in the paper, Potter had done a good job of evading everyone. In some ways, Snape's respect was growing for the boy, even though he would probably spend a lot of time yelling about the boy's foolishness whenever he finally found Potter.

He growled in anger when someone dared to interrupt his brewing time by knocking on the door. Snape hoped that he could ignore the sounds and force the person to go away. He was in no mood to talk with anyone at the present. The knocking only got louder and more persistent, however, the longer that he continued to wait. Finally, unable to stand it anymore, Snape lowered the flame under the cauldron and loudly snapped for the person to enter.

Mentally groaning when he saw that Potter's friends had dared to enter his domain, Snape glared at the three teenagers. "Granger, Weasley, and Weasley, if you haven't noticed, I am very busy at this time. When someone does not answer the door, it normally means that they either are not there or else it means that they do not want to be disturbed. Since my response falls into the latter category, I hope that you will realize that I am not pleased by the interruption right now. Quickly state what you came to say and then get out."

Ron's face turned red, but he was prevented from angrily responding when Ginny stepped on his foot and Hermione touched his arm in warning. Hermione boldly stepped forward and tried not to be intimidated.

"Sir, we know that you have been out looking for Harry in the past few days. Would you please tell us what is going on? Professor Dumbledore mentioned something the other day about Harry being spotted, but we haven't heard any updates recently."

Deciding that he would have to answer them so that they would leave him alone, Snape answered. "Potter was wearing a disguise when he was spotted on the Knight Bus and in Diagon Alley. We are still trying to locate him, but we have not had any luck so far. You now know everything that we know. Now, if you do not have anything meaningful to say in order to help us find your friend, I suggest that you leave my lab."

Hearing Snape's dismissal, Hermione dejectedly nodded and miserably led Ron out of the room. Ginny lingered for a few more seconds.

"Yes, Ms. Weasley?" Snape coolly inquired with one of his eyebrows raised.

"I know that you hate Harry, sir, but he is important to us. I hope that you can find him really soon. Thank you for helping search for him," Ginny replied while looking Snape in the eye. Once she had given her small speech, she hurriedly left the room to catch up to Ron and Hermione.

Startled by Ginny's words, Snape took a break from his potions and sat down. He was surprised that one of Potter's friends had actually thanked him for what he was doing. Snape had to disagree with one thing that she had said though.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Snape admitted to himself that he did not hate Potter. Finding out about what the Dursleys had done and even spending some time with the boy had helped to change his attitude towards Potter. He still wasn't entirely sure what his feelings were towards the boy though. At the present moment, he was annoyed with Potter for running off; however, he did not hate the boy.

Snape did not know what exactly would happen to Potter once the boy was found by the Order and returned to Hogwarts. The boy would, of course, need a guardian since no one wanted him to come under the control of the Ministry. Because the wizarding world knew about the abuse, something would also need to be done about the Dursleys. Snape had tried to get any information out of the Headmaster about his thoughts on all of this; however, Dumbledore had been very busy in the past few days and had not been able to answer his questions.

Deciding that his time would be better spent by finishing his brewing, Snape stood back up and walked over to the cauldron. He turned raised the flame and began chopping more ingredients. His hand faltered, however, and he stifled a cry as he clutched his arm with his hand. The Dark Mark was burning, and he could not waste any time in leaving Hogwarts. The Dark Lord would already be angry and suspicious of him because of any involvement that he might have had with Potter. There was no reason to be late to the meeting and heap more punishment on his head.

Snape quickly took the cauldron off of the fire and put the flame out. He hurried through the hall and entered his private quarters. Grabbing his Death Eater robes and mask in one hand, he began to put them on as he sped out of the room. Once he had reached the Entrance Hall, he paused and brought his wand out of his robes. Snape muttered a few words and watched as his silver message swiftly took off in the direction of the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore would receive the message and know that he had left Hogwarts for a Death Eater's meeting.

As soon as the message was out of sight, Snape abruptly snapped around and strode towards the end of the school's boundary. Once he had stepped outside of the gates, Snape adjusted his Death Eater garments, clutched his wand in his hand, and Disapparated.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: I know that it has been about two weeks since I have updated, but long times between updates will probably be the norm until this semester is over. At least we get a month off for Christmas break. Then I will be able to spend more time writing. Thanks for the reviews from last chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

Harry leisurely relaxed in a chair shaded by an umbrella outside of a café. It had been a week since he had left Hogwarts. The longer that he was gone, the more calm and relieved Harry became. He hadn't really expected anyone in the Order to find him in Godric's Hollow, but he knew that there was always a chance that someone could accidentally discover his hideaway. The chance of discovery lessened, however, with every day that he stayed away.

When he had left his parent's graves on his first day in Godric's Hollow, Harry had been too depressed to actually do any more exploring. The day had tired him out, and Harry just wanted to find some place to lie down and rest. Plus, he had gotten up very early that morning and had not gotten a lot of sleep. Harry had trudged wearily back to his parents' deserted house and snuck back in. Once he had grabbed his trunk, Harry left the house in order to find an inn.

Harry had wandered into the first inn that he could find. He hoped that no one would ask him for any kind of identification for renting a room. The person at the front desk had been very kind to him, and he had been able to quickly give the female clerk his Muggle money. As Harry took his key and followed the signs to his room, he was thankful that no one had asked him any probing questions about why he was alone.

Ever since he had arrived at Godric's Hollow a week ago, Harry had continued to stay in that same inn. Harry was having the time of his life waking up late and doing whatever he wanted without adult approval. He was aware that Voldemort was probably active and busy, so Harry always made sure to be cautious as he walked all over the town. He kept his wand hidden in his pockets whenever he went out, and he was constantly scanning the area for any problems.

Two days ago, Harry had experienced scar pains during the night. The pain had hit him before he went to bed, and Harry had been afraid of going to sleep and having a vision. Even though Harry did not know any Occlumency, he attempted to sit cross-legged on the bed with his eyes shut as he cleared his mind. He didn't really know how to clear his mind, but he tried to calm himself down and relax his body. Apparently the exercise had calmed him down enough that he was able to accidentally go to sleep.

Harry had not had any visions that night; however, he didn't know if it was because of his calming exercises or if it had been because of other reasons. Despite the lack of visions, his scar had continued to hurt day and night for the past two days. Harry thought that he might go crazy if the pain didn't stop soon; nothing seemed to help ease the pain or make it go away. He continued his daily excursions around the town; however, he had to force his face not to show the constant pain that he was in.

In order to keep his mind off of the pain, Harry had started to read his mother's diary. He had been reluctant to read it at first, since it seemed an invasion of privacy to read someone's innermost thoughts; however, his curiosity finally outweighed his reluctance. Harry didn't really know as much about his mum as opposed to his dad, so Harry wanted to learn more about her.

His mum had apparently started the diary soon after graduating Hogwarts. Harry allowed himself to read several pages of the diary every day. The beginning of the diary had described the growing relationship between his parents. There were a few times that Harry felt his face reddening just reading it, yet Harry was grateful that his mother had not gone into great detail about their relationship.

Several times Harry felt himself itching to just turn to the back of the diary and see when his mother had stopped writing. She had written at least a few words every week; however, Harry wondered if she had continued writing up until the day of her death. He didn't know if he wanted to read about those last few days. Even though his parents thought that they were safe trusting Sirius and then Peter with the secret of their hiding place, they had probably still been concerned about Voldemort wanting to kill their baby.

Reading the beginning of the diary caused some happiness and laughter in Harry. His parents had not had to be as worried about Voldemort at the beginning of their relationship. Voldemort had been growing in power at that time, but he had not been as big of a threat.

When Harry caught sight of an entry describing the death of his maternal grandmother, he began to pay close attention. This was the first time that he had ever really heard anything about any of his grandparents. He had seen several of his family members in the Mirror of Erised, but that was different than actually reading about them. There were a few tear marks on the page, and Harry realized that this had to have been a sad time for his mother.

_My father died a few years ago, and now my mother is gone as well. James has been very sweet to me since mum died, and I am so grateful that I married him. I went to the funeral yesterday. The service was very nice; however, when I was leaving, I ran into my sister Petunia. I have not talked to her since dad died, and Petunia and I have never really been in good terms since the family found out that I was a witch. I think that she's been very jealous of me ever since then._

_Petunia came to the funeral alone, even though I have heard that she got married not too long ago. I tried to be nice to my sister, but she said some very harsh words to me. We might have ended up fighting if it had not been for James and his friends pulling us apart. James said that the executor of my mother's will wanted to talk to Petunia and me. Both of us quietly walked into the room with the executor and sat down._

_Most of the reading of the will went by quickly and effortlessly…until the end. I didn't really care what I got from mum, but I was happy when I heard that she had left me this one piece of jewelry. Ever since I was younger, I have always loved that necklace. It has been passed down through our family for many generations, and mum told me several times that I could get the necklace when I was older._

_When mum first showed me the necklace, I felt drawn to it. I don't really know what it was about the jewelry that compelled me. The chain of the necklace is made of beautiful diamonds, and the chain ends in a small emerald snake. Once the executor told me that mum had left me the necklace, I sadly smiled; however, Petunia shrieked that she wanted the piece of jewelry. _

_Petunia is older than I am, and she had seen the necklace before I did when we were younger. She had never really shown any interest in the necklace until she found out that it was the one thing that I wanted more than anything. I think that Petunia's jealousy is the only reason that she wanted to take the jewelry away from me, but I'm never going to let her have it. As soon as I found out that the necklace would be mine, I immediately went and got it. I hope to pass this piece of jewelry down to one of my children some day._

Harry had known that his aunt hated his mother, but it was still interesting to see the interactions between the two of them, especially from his mother's point of view. Hearing about the necklace caused Harry to remember the empty house. He reminded himself once again to eventually ask Dumbledore where his parent's personal belongings were.

By the end of Harry's week away from Hogwarts, he had gotten to the point in the diary where his parents had found out that his mum was pregnant. Reading about his parents' excitement over having him caused tears to well up in Harry's eyes. Harry had known that his parents loved him. He had heard people tell him stories about his parents loving him, and he knew that his parents had also died to save him; however, hearing secondhand about their love and reading his mother's specific feelings on the matter were very different things.

_I just found out today that I am pregnant! James and I were very excited when we heard the news. I don't think that I have every seen James any prouder than at that moment when the healer said that we were going to have a child. James was very quick to call over Sirius, Remus, and Peter in order to tell them the good news._

_Everyone has been so happy for the two of us. I can't wait until the nine months are up and our new child will be here. I just wish that the baby would have been born in better times. Voldemort is becoming more active as time goes by. James and I will do everything in our power to protect the baby, though. Since we can't change the circumstances of the war, we will make do with what we can._

After reading that entry, Harry decided that he had had enough of the diary for the day. He gently closed the book and placed it back inside of his trunk. Once he had taken care of that piece of business, Harry lay back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. An idea had come into his mind for the last few days, and Harry thought that now would be a good time to seriously consider the idea.

Harry had been away from the wizarding world for exactly one week now. He had no clue what was happening with Voldemort's rise in power or with the Order's search for him. Harry didn't think that he was ready to go back to the wizarding world for good, but he had been contemplating going back to Diagon Alley briefly in order to catch up on the news. After he lay still for a while, Harry finally came to the realization that he was really curious as to what was happening in the wizarding world.

Removing his glasses and placing them on the nightstand, Harry curled up on the bed. It was mid-afternoon, and he figured that it would be best if he slept during the rest of the afternoon before going to Diagon Alley during the late evening, right before all of the shops closed. Harry sat up briefly, set the alarm clock so that he wouldn't oversleep, and then flopped back onto the mattress.

-0-0-0-0-0

When he woke up refreshed, Harry dug around in his trunk and pulled out some items for his disguise. He had bought several items in Diagon Alley on his last trip which would be useful this time. Harry put in the blue colored contacts before changing into a hooded sweatshirt. The hood was pulled over his head in order to hide his hair and scar. After changing a little bit more of his appearance, Harry rummaged again in his trunk before pulling out a knapsack. He put his invisibility cloak inside it along with other valuable items. The wand was already strapped to his arm, hidden beneath the sleeves of the sweatshirt.

Harry went over to the phone and asked the clerk at the front desk if she could call him a cab. Once the clerk had assured him that she would, Harry finished packing and preparing himself for his journey. He didn't know when or if he would be back to Godric's Hollow. It would probably be late by the time that he finished his trip through Diagon Alley, though, so it might be best to stay in London for the night.

As soon as Harry had checked out of the inn, a cab pulled up to the front of the building. Harry stowed his trunk into the back of the cab before climbing into car. He gave the driver the directions before quietly leaning back and watching the scenery.

The trip seemed to take no time as Harry was pulled out of his daze by the driver's voice announcing their arrival. He paid the driver, grabbed his trunk, and then paused on the sidewalk in front of the Leaky Cauldron. Harry knew that it was very risky for him to attempt to walk through Diagon Alley; however, he was used to doing dangerous things. He was more interested in what had been going on since he was gone. Harry figured that he would just take a quick trip into the Alley, grab a newspaper, and then leave soon afterwards.

Harry steeled himself before walking into the Leaky Cauldron. Despite the late hour, the restaurant was busy and full of customers. No one paid him any attention as he quickly took his trunk and went out the back door. Before Harry tapped on the bricks to enter Diagon Alley, Harry sat his trunk on the ground and took his wand out. Harry casually looked around, and once he noticed that no one was around, he hurriedly shrank his trunk and put it inside his knapsack. It would be easier to unshrink the trunk later instead of having to hide the trunk somewhere or lug it around.

Once he had entered Diagon Alley, Harry made sure to carefully watch out for any people that he might know. It would be hard to hide from someone if they recognized him. Harry was aware that most stores would be closed soon, so he hoped to leave the area soon after that. As he walked down the street, Harry spotted a nearly empty newspaper stand close by. He strolled over to the stand and dropped some wizarding coins into the slot. When the paper popped out, Harry didn't even glance at the front page as he stuffed the newspaper into his knapsack. He would have plenty of time to thoroughly read it later.

As Harry was walking back to the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, he heard whispered voices quietly wafting out of a side alley. He would have continued walking past the alley, but he stopped whenever he heard someone mention his name. He crept a little closer to the opening of the alley in order to hear what was happening. Harry figured that anyone skulking down an alley was up to no good. His suspicions were confirmed the longer that he listened.

"Snape hasn't broken yet. He refuses to tell our Lord any information that he knows concerning Potter. You would think that after enduring torture for two days straight he would say something by now. After all, I've heard that Snape hates the brat."

Harry's mouth dropped open in shock, and he was barely able to keep in a gasp. Apparently Voldemort had somehow figured out that Snape was a traitor, and he had captured the man for information and revenge. He realized that Snape must have been captured and tortured on the very night that his scar had begun hurting. Harry hoped that Snape would be okay, but he didn't think that there was much hope.

"I've heard that our Master will be killing the traitor tonight. He realized that Snape wasn't going to talk, and he knows that he has other more important things to do right now. Our Lord is still attempting to find Potter, and he is soon going to break out our fellow followers that have been in Azkaban since that night in the Ministry."

Harry strained to hear all of the conversation that was going on between the two men. This information would be useful for the Order to know. They might be able to stop Voldemort from breaking into Azkaban before he rescued his Death Eaters. Even though the dementors had already left the prison during the last few days of school, the Ministry had been setting wizards around the area as guards.

One of the men hissed in pain, and Harry slowly craned his neck around the edge of the alley. He could see the two men standing next to each other, and both of them were holding their arms.

"We need to hurry up and go to the meeting. Apparently our Lord had decided that it is time for Snape to die."

Harry ripped his knapsack off of his shoulders and grabbed his Invisibility Cloak from inside. He threw the Cloak over his body and tried to hurry down the side alley as quickly and quietly as he could. Harry didn't even spend any time thinking about his actions as he stopped beside the men and seized the sleeve of one of them. The man was too preoccupied to notice that something odd was happening around him. Harry knew that this was probably a stupid, reckless plan; however, he wasn't going to allow Voldemort to murder Snape. The Potions Master had rescued him from his relatives, and he had also spent time talking to him whenever he needed someone to talk to. Snape had hated him before, yet Harry though that the man might have changed his feelings towards him somewhat.

As the Death Eaters began to Disapparate, Harry realized that he was going to attempt to go into Voldemort's lair and rescue Snape. Harry only hoped that he would not fail.

-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: Yay! I finished this chapter sooner than I thought I would. Next chapter will feature Harry's POV as he attempts to rescue Snape.


	14. Chapter 14

When the Death Eaters had arrived at their destination, Harry immediately let go of the man's sleeve he had grabbed. He stepped back and got out of their way. Harry held his breath when one of the men looked around suspiciously.

"What?" the other man asked.

"I felt something tugging on my sleeve," he answered.

"I'm sure that it was nothing. Probably something snagged your sleeve before you Disapparated in Diagon Alley. We need to hurry or our Lord will not be pleased."

The man nodded in agreement, and they both started walking quickly in the direction of an abandoned house. Harry slowly let out his held breath. He had only been here for a few seconds, yet he had almost been discovered. Harry had no idea how he was going to rescue Professor Snape; however, he knew that he would have to be extremely careful. He tightly clutched his wand in his hand and double checked his Invisibility Cloak in order to make sure that none of his body parts were showing. Whenever he decided that he was finally ready, Harry began following the Death Eaters.

After the men had opened the door, Harry silently slipped in behind them. He tried to stay as close to them as possible without alerting them to his presence. They traversed several turns and even two staircases before Harry heard low murmuring in a nearby room. Harry hoped that he wouldn't have to make a quick getaway once he had a hold of Snape because he might not be able to remember the correct path out of the house.

As soon as Harry had entered the crowded room, he carefully wound throughout the people. Despite the fact that some of Voldemort's followers were in Azkaban following the attack on the Ministry, there were apparently still several Death Eaters free. Within a few seconds of walking, Harry was finally able to see a body lying in the middle of the group.

Snape was temporarily unconscious as he lay sprawled on the ground. There was some blood pooled on the floor, and several cuts and bruises were visible on his skin. Harry stared horrified at the sight of Snape's injuries. He briefly wondered if the man was already dead yet, but that notion was dispelled when he caught his professor taking a shallow breath.

Harry's head jerked up whenever a sharp pain occurred in his scar. He glared angrily at Voldemort as the man came into the room. The Death Eaters quieted down and parted as Voldemort made his way towards Snape. Once Voldemort stopped beside Snape, he pointed his wand at the man and muttered a spell. Snape gasped in pain and struggled to lift his body into a sitting position. He stilled once he was halfway off of the floor and noticed that the room was full of people staring in his direction.

"Severus, I believe that your time has come. No one who betrays me will be allowed to live," Voldemort angrily hissed. "You have chosen the wrong side in this war. Do not doubt that I will defeat Dumbledore and Potter. The wizarding world will soon be mine."

Snape stared defiantly up at him. "I don't regret what I have done. The only regret that I have is that I joined you in the first place."

Harry knew that he had to do something quickly. Voldemort was losing his patience with Snape, and Harry thought that it wouldn't be long before Snape would be killed. Harry was starting to panic because he couldn't really come up with any good ideas to rescue his professor. He couldn't take on about twenty-five Death Eaters by himself, and if he tried to say a spell, it would give away his position.

While quietly digging around in his knapsack, Harry excitedly took out a few of Fred and George's pranks. He didn't remember putting the pranks into his bag, so he guessed that these tricks were left over from during the school year. Touching his wand to the end of the Flashy Bombs, Harry ignited the wick at the end of them before lobbing the pranks in different directions.

Voldemort stopped cursing Snape for his previous rebellious comments. Everyone looked around in confusion as the pranks began to go off. Fog and loud noises filled the room as colorful lights exploded throughout the area. Several Death Eaters cursed and scattered as everyone wandered around, puzzled by the new turn of events.

Harry took advantage of the disorientation in order to quickly run over to Snape and kneel down next to the man. Snape looked just as confused as everyone else, but he let out a gasp of pain when Harry threw the Invisibility Cloak around him and hurriedly hauled him to his feet. Harry slapped a hand over Snape's mouth so that the man's next exclamation of pain would be cut off. He knew that the Death Eaters would quickly organize and look for the cause of the disruption. Already Voldemort was waving the fog away and trying to stop the lights and noise.

Snape's eyes had widened in surprise upon seeing his rescuer, but he realized the importance of staying silent. Harry slung one of Snape's arms over his shoulder before putting his own arm around his professor's waist. Snape leaned heavily on Harry as the two attempted to quietly and swiftly weave through the Death Eaters and towards the escape door. By the time that they had reached the door, the pranks had been stopped and silence filled the room for about two seconds. A shout sounded when someone had discovered the missing Potion's Master.

"I want everyone to spread out, find the traitor, and find whoever came to rescue him. Bring them to me whenever you find them," shrieked Voldemort in anger.

Harry threw an apologetic glance in Snape's direction before walking quicker. He knew that his professor was in a lot of pain and wouldn't be able to hang in there for much longer. Harry hoped that they would be able to get away as soon as possible. Not only was it dangerous to stay in the area for very long, but Snape needed medical attention immediately.

Skidding to a halt, Harry noticed that they had accidentally gone down a wrong corridor. They were currently in a dead end, and Harry could hear a few Death Eaters rapidly gaining on them. His breath quickened as he held his wand in front of him. He knew that the Death Eaters wouldn't be able to see them while they were under the Invisibility Cloak; however, Harry was still afraid that they might somehow discover his and Snape's position.

Harry looked down and was horrified to notice that the Cloak had slipped a little bit and uncovered one of his legs. He didn't have any time to re-cover himself as two Death Eaters ran around the corner.

"There they are. They must be under an Invisibility Cloak. Get 'em," one man shouted.

Harry threw off the Cloak in order to have better mobility and movement. He let go of Snape as he prepared himself to duel the two men. Harry figured that the Death Eaters must have taken Snape's wand two days earlier, so he would have to fight these men by himself. It was all up to him to get both of them out of this place alive.

Thankfully, Harry's best subject was Defense Against the Dark Arts. His instincts kicked in as threw himself to the side when a bolt of light shot towards him. As he jumped back up, Harry flung his wand forward.

"Petrificus Totalus," Harry yelled.

The Death Eater was too slow to block the spell as he stiffly fell backwards. His partner was too involved in the duel to revive the other man. Harry hoped that he could end this battle shortly so that he and Snape would have more of a chance to escape. All of this noise would soon alert the others to the location of the escapees.

Harry was beginning to tire out from the quickly fired spells. He was trying to protect himself from the spells while also attempting to keep Snape safe from any wayward curses. Harry yelped in pain as a Cutting Curse sliced part of his upper arm. Continuing with the battle, Harry noticed movement out of the corner of his eye.

When Snape lurched forward, the Death Eater's attention turned towards the traitor. He sneered as he trained his wand on Snape and prepared to shout the killing curse. Harry, seeing the man's inattention, focused his wand on the Death Eater.

"Stupefy," incanted Harry as he fully concentrated on bring down this man.

The spell struck the man and caused him to fall. Harry hurriedly strode back over to Snape and threw the Invisibility Cloak around them. He once again allowed Snape to lean on him before they both took off down the corridor in a quick pace. The hallway was empty; however, Harry could hear voices all around him. He knew that it wouldn't be long before others would show up. They had been wandering for several minutes - in what Harry believed was the correct direction - before Snape spoke up.

"Harry."

Shocked upon hearing his first name crossing his professor's lips, Harry turned his questioning gaze towards Snape. His steps had faltered for a few seconds; however, Harry picked up the pace once he realized it.

"Yes, professor?" Harry replied.

"I don't think that I can go on much longer," panted Snape.

Harry had not come all of this way just for his professor to give up. "I came here to save you, and that is what I'm going to do. We shouldn't be much longer, sir."

"In my pocket there is a portkey. We must be outside of the wards in order for it to work," Snape gasped.

"Okay," Harry shortly responded. He knew that Snape's pain must be increasing the longer that they continued, but by his calculations, the exit should be close by.

When they approached the last set of stairs, Harry looked down and saw five Death Eaters blocking the exit. Since the rest of Voldemort's men were not in sight, Harry thought that they must either still be searching or else they were blocking other exits. Despite Harry and Snape's efforts to quietly descend the staircase, the last step creaked loudly.

The Death Eaters snapped to attention and focused their wands towards the stairs. They knew that it was imperative to catch these people or else the Dark Lord would take his anger out on his followers.

Harry grabbed his professor in a tight grip and fled down another hallway. He slammed the door behind them and cast the strongest locking charm on the door that he knew. Harry thrust his wand into Snape's hand next.

"Here. My spell won't hold them for long. I want you to cast something stronger over it," Harry rapidly said.

Snape gathered up some of his last remaining energy in order to use a spell that would lock the door. It would probably earn them a few more minutes before the Death Eaters would be able to break through. Snape had never been in this part of the house before, so he hoped that they would be able to find another way out.

Once Snape had finished his spell, he sagged wearily against Harry. Harry easily plucked the wand from the Potion Master's fingers before starting their trek again. He kept his eyes peeled for an exit, but his hope was draining away along with his energy.

Snape's fingers painfully dug into Harry's arm and caused him to stop moving. Despite his impatience to continue walking, Harry glanced over at Snape. Noticing that his professor wasn't looking at him, he followed Snape's gaze down the hallway. A relieved look settled on Harry's face when he saw a small beam of moonlight filtered in through a tiny window.

When Snape started hobbling towards the window, Harry snapped out of his surprised state. He wasted no time in approaching the window and trying to open it. Harry strained his muscles in his attempts; however, the window just wouldn't budge. A loud crash at the end of the hallway alerted Harry and Snape to the fact that the Death Eaters had broken down the locked door.

"Quickly. Give me your wand," Snape barked.

Harry jerked and reflexively held out his wand. His professor turned to the window and incanted a spell in Latin which blew a large hole in the wall. Harry helped Snape through the hole while avoiding the large, jagged splinters. The Invisibility Cloak wasn't so lucky though. It got caught on a splinter and slipped off of their bodies.

Harry continued running forward a few steps before realizing that the cloak no longer covered them. When he stopped and turned around, Snape seized his wrist and pulled him to a halt.

"Leave it. We do not have time."

Even though he knew that time was short, Harry yanked his arm out of his professor's grip. He didn't want to leave his cloak in the hands of the Death Eaters. It had belonged to his dad, and he was not going to leave without it.

Once he had grabbed the cloak, he gently pulled it free from the splinters without tearing it. He stuffed the cloak under his arm and ran back over to where Snape was wavering on his feet. Harry took a hold of Snape once again before heading away from the house.

"How far do we need to go, Professor? Where do the wards stop?" asked Harry.

"Not much farther," Snape wearily replied. "I need you to reach into my front pocket and pull out a small coin. That should be the portkey."

Harry reached into the pocket and quickly found the coin. As he was pulling it out, however, Snape tripped on a rock and fell hard onto the ground. The coin fell from Harry's fingers and disappeared into the grass as Harry landed on his face. He didn't waste time scrambling back up and crawling towards the area where he had last seen the portkey fall.

Shouting brought his head up briefly. Death Eaters, led by Voldemort, were pouring out of the house and heading in their direction. He would have to find the coin soon, or it would be too late to escape. The night was dark, and the only feeble light was provided by the moon. Just as his hope was about gone, his hand touched something cool and hard.

Grasping the coin tightly in his hand, Harry stumbled back over to his professor. He clutched Snape and held on in a strong grip.

"What do we do now?" Harry frantically questioned.

Snape put his hand over the portkey and spoke clearly. "Severus's Refuge."

Harry felt a jerk as the portkey took them away to safety. Before they left, he noticed that the Death Eaters had been within a few feet of them. If it had been a few seconds later, they probably both would have been dead.

Harry was shaken from his thoughts whenever they both landed on the floor. He took deep breaths in order to slow his racing heart, and he noticed that his hands were shaking slightly. Taking a look around while he was calming down, Harry realized that he was in a living room somewhere.

"Where are we, sir?"

"Welcome to my home, Potter," Snape faintly replied before promptly passing out.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: Thank you for the reviews from last chapter. The next chapter will feature Harry and Snape staying at the professor's house. Snape is injured, so Harry is going to have to take care of him for a little bit.


	15. Chapter 15

_Last chapter:_

_Harry was shaken from his thoughts whenever they both landed on the floor. He took deep breaths in order to slow his racing heart, and he noticed that his hands were shaking slightly. Taking a look around while he was calming down, Harry realized that he was in a living room somewhere._

_"Where are we, sir?"_

_"Welcome to my home, Potter," Snape faintly replied before promptly passing out._

-0-0-0-0-0

For several minutes, Harry stood uncertainly while glancing around, not really sure what to do. He knew that he needed to help Snape somehow, but he wasn't sure exactly how. Harry thought that he should probably get Snape off of the cold floor first. He didn't really want to snoop around his professor's house without the man's permission; however, there wasn't much choice. After all, Snape might be unconscious for a while. The stress and blood loss must really have taken a toll on his body.

Harry took off down the hall and began randomly opening doors. It only took a few seconds before he found a guest bedroom. Harry flipped the covers back before returning to the living room. He would have liked to levitate Snape into the bedroom, but Harry wasn't sure if he would be allowed to use magic in the house. He decided that it would be better to just wait and ask his professor when the man woke up.

Since he wasn't going to use magic just yet, Harry walked over to Snape and grabbed the man underneath the arms and began to carefully drag him down the hallway.

"I'm sorry," Harry told the unconscious man. He figured that he wasn't helping Snape's injuries any, but this was the only way that he could get the man into the bedroom.

It was very slow work half-carrying, half-dragging his professor. By the time that he had entered the bedroom, Harry was exhausted and ready to sleep. The night's activities had been very stressful and nerve wracking. He used the last of his energy to lift Snape onto the bed. Once that had been accomplished, Harry was breathing heavily and took a few seconds to catch his breath.

Harry decided that the only thing he could do for Snape was just to wait for the man to wake up. Harry didn't know if there were any potions in the house or even where the potions might be located. When he looked more closely around the guest bedroom, he noticed that there was a soft couch sitting against one of the walls. After Harry had grabbed a few blankets and pillows from the closet, he collapsed on the comfortable sofa and quickly fell asleep.

-0-0-0-0-0

After sleeping for about eight hours, Harry woke up hearing a noise is the room. His first thought was, 'Why is someone in my hotel room?' It took a few seconds for Harry to realize that he was not in Godric's Hollow any more; he was now in Snape's house. When that thought entered his mind, Harry abruptly opened his eyes and sat up. He was a little disconcerted when he noticed that Snape was staring at him while he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Gazing back at Snape while he made his way over to the bed, Harry asked, "How are you feeling, Professor?"

Snape stopped himself from snapping back at the boy. Harry's question was pretty idiotic, in his point of view, since he had been tortured for two days; however, the boy had saved his life, so he would attempt to be nicer to him.

"I'm not feeling very well, as I'm sure you can imagine, Potter," Snape neutrally responded.

"Do you have any potions around here that I can give you?" questioned Harry. "I didn't really look around the house last night. I just checked to see if there was a bedroom nearby."

Snape grimaced when he realized something. "I think that most of my potions store is empty here. I haven't had time to restock my potions at the house. My lab here contains plenty of ingredients, but it has very few potions already made."

"So, what are we going to do? Is there any way that I can contact Hogwarts?"

"We won't be able to leave this house for a while. The house was set up to automatically lock down whenever I used my emergency portkey. I don't have my wand to lower the wards, and even if I did, I'm not well enough or strong enough to do it right now," Snape sighed loudly in annoyance.

Harry stayed silent upon hearing that news. Not only was he stuck in Snape's house with the man, but he would also have to take care of him until he had healed. He didn't think that Snape would be a very happy patient either. Despite these facts, Harry was still glad that he had been able to rescue Snape from the Death Eaters. Even though it had been careless and reckless of him, he still didn't regret it. His musings were cut short when Snape cleared his throat.

When he looked over at his professor, Snape said, "I don't know how or why you wound up at Voldemort's lair, but thank you for saving my life."

After Snape had spoken, he looked away from Harry in embarrassment. Harry knew that Snape had hated the fact that James Potter had saved him from a werewolf, so Harry hoped that Snape wouldn't resent him now for saving his life from the Death Eaters. The two of them had been getting along fairly well before Harry had run away from Hogwarts, and Harry hoped that that wouldn't change.

"You're welcome, sir," Harry replied before quickly changing topics. "You said that most of your potions were gone. Well, do you want me to see what potions you still have available?"

"Alright, Potter. Go upstairs and look in the second door on your right. That is my storage closet for finished potions. Bring all of them down to me. There shouldn't be that many."

Harry nodded in agreement before leaving Snape alone. It didn't take long to locate the correct room. Even though he had heard his professor say that the storage closet was fairly empty, he was still surprised when he saw that there were only eight vials perched on the shelves. He grabbed each vial individually and carefully stored them in his pants pockets.

When he had returned to the bedroom and emptied his pockets, his professor curled his lips in disgust. "These are useless. They won't heal any of my injuries. Only two of them can help to relieve the pain, but they are very mild potions. I need something a lot stronger than that."

Harry thought for a second before cautiously speaking. "You said that you have a lab here, right?"

"Of course, Potter," snapped his professor. "However, as has already been mentioned, I am in no shape to brew anything."

Even though he knew that Snape would not like his plan, Harry decided to continue speaking. "Where would your potion books be? The ones that have the directions in them for the potions that you need."

"Why does it matter, Potter?" Snape wearily answered. "I'll just have to let my injuries heal naturally."

"I might be able to make the potions…" Harry slowly said before Snape interrupted him.

"No. Absolutely not," replied Snape vehemently. "I've seen your work in my classroom. You are not sufficient enough to brew anything as complicated as the potions that I require. You mess up even the simplest potions during my class."

"Professor, you never even gave me a chance at school," Harry angrily responded. "You hated me since you first laid eyes on me. You singled me out in class, used every chance to insult me, and you even allowed Slytherins like Malfoy to sabotage my potions. I know that Potions isn't my best subject, but I think that I can do this for you." Harry took a deep breath and calmed himself down. "Let me at least try. If you don't think that it looks right when I'm done, you don't have to drink it."

"My final answer is no, Potter," Snape firmly said.

"Alright," answered Harry calmly. "But if you change your mind, I'll still be here."

The only response to his remark was a derisive snort. After allowing silence to reign for a little while, Harry decided to continue talking. "Can I do magic while I'm here, or will the Ministry know about it?"

"I'll allow you to do some magic while you are here. The Ministry will not find out. Even if the lock down wards weren't in place, the Ministry still would not be able to detect your magic here."

Harry said a quick thanks before taking his shrunken trunk out of his knapsack and placing it on the floor. Once he had enlarged the trunk, Harry sat back down on the couch.

"I guess that since we will be stuck here for a while, you may use the bedroom down the hallway," Snape said. "I don't need you to sleep on the couch any more and watch over me. You may go unpack your belongings right now if you would like to."

Deciding to take him up on the offer, Harry grabbed his bag and trunk before entering the bedroom that Snape had given him for his use. Harry was grateful that the bedroom was decorated in blues and silvers rather than in Slytherin green. He leisurely unpacked his things and placed them around the room. When he was finished, he went down the hallway and entered the kitchen. Harry was famished for breakfast, and he figured that Snape had not eaten anything while he had been captured.

Harry tried to quietly make breakfast lest Snape yell at him for cooking. The man probably thought that since Harry wasn't the best brewer that he also wouldn't be able to cook very well either. Even though Snape may not want him to make the potions to heal his injuries, his professor couldn't stop him from cooking. After all, Snape didn't have a house elf, and Harry was the only one of the two who was physically able to cook. They couldn't wait until Snape was healed before getting something to eat. Besides, Harry had long ago learned how to cook good food.

Once Harry had finished cooking, he filled two trays with food and carried them into the bedroom. Snape looked up in surprise when he saw what Harry had done.

"You cooked for us?" he asked in disbelief.

"I know that you may not believe me, but I am a really good cook. I've been cooking since I was young. Well, dig in," Harry cheerfully replied as he sat the tray over Snape's lap.

Snape poked the food with his fork and eyed it with suspicion. Whenever he saw that Harry was eating the food with gusto, he cautiously put some eggs onto his fork and began to eat them. Harry smirked in amusement as he watched his professor from the corner of his eye.

"Not bad, Potter," Snape reluctantly admitted. "I'm guessing that you learned this skill from living with your relatives." Disgust showed in his voice whenever he spat out the word 'relatives.'

"Yes," Harry shortly answered. "I cooked most meals for them."

Snape realized that Harry didn't really want to talk about the Dursleys right then, so he wisely kept silent. The rest of breakfast continued peacefully until Harry's tray dropped to the floor and he cried out in pain. Snape stared concernedly at Harry once he saw the boy bend over and grab his forehead.

"Potter. Potter, can you hear me?"

Harry gritted his teeth and moaned in pain. His scar had hurt many times before, but it had never been this bad. He was vaguely aware that Snape was calling his name, but he couldn't bring himself to respond.

"HARRY!"

Surprised, Harry jerked out of his daze and looked up. Snape was slowly walking over towards him despite the own pain that his professor was most likely in. The Potions Master carefully lowered himself onto the couch before firmly grabbing both of Harry's shoulders in his hands and turning the boy towards him.

"He's angry that we got away," Harry painfully said. "I don't know why I didn't feel his anger last night, but I sure do feel it now."

"I know that we failed in your Occlumency lessons last year, but we have no choice but to work on it right now. Listen to me and do exactly as I say. I will help you clear your mind and close the connection between the two of you."

"Okay," answered Harry.

"I want you to attempt to clear your mind of everything. Don't concentrate on the pain. Instead, I want you to think about one image and let that fill all of your thoughts. It can be anything that you want: fire, water, or even flying. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

At first, Harry was having a difficult time accomplishing those directions. The pain kept getting stronger despite his attempts to ignore it. He continued to try, however, because he could not afford to fail. He decided to try the last idea that his professor had given him about concentrating on flying. Flying had always calmed him and provided him with a sense of relief. Harry knew that he was a natural on a broom, and it only seemed right that he would use flying as his image during Occlumency.

"Continue to concentrate on your image," Snape's silky voice said. "The stronger that your image becomes, the better able you will be to drive out the Dark Lord from your mind."

Harry felt his body slowly relaxing. The pain was diminishing until it was completely gone. He finally opened his eyes and noticed that Snape was staring avidly at him.

"Are you alright now?" Snape asked. He gave Harry's shoulders a light squeeze of comfort before removing his hands.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks," Harry gratefully replied.

Snape nodded in response. "We will have to continue practicing this during the summer. You may have been able to drive him out this time; however, he was unprepared for you to fight back. We will need to strengthen your Occlumency shields until nothing will be able to break through. I think that both of us will really try to succeed during Occlumency practices this time around."

Smiling lightly, Harry agreed to Snape's words. His smile faded slightly, however, when he noticed that Snape was trying to discreetly rub his arm.

"Professor?"

"Yes?"

"Is your Dark Mark burning?" Harry asked.

Snape noticed that Harry was staring at him rubbing his arm. He quickly ceased what he had been doing before answering. "Don't concern yourself with it, Potter. There is nothing that can be done for it. I'll just have to live with it."

Harry wished that there was something that he could do to help his professor like his teacher had helped him get rid of the pain. He looked over at the bed and finally realized that Snape should probably be lying down and resting rather than sitting up with him. "Well, thanks again. I'll help you back to bed if you'll let me."

Instead of answering, Snape just allowed Harry to pull him up. Once he was standing, the Potions Master let Harry lead him over to the rumpled bed. When Snape was lying back down, he grabbed one of the pain potions from the nightstand. After swallowing the whole vial, he relaxed against the pillows and closed his eyes.

"Why don't you go read or something for a while, Potter? I'm going to rest, and you probably have better things to do with your time than stare at me while I sleep. You can explore the house or go outside for a bit if you want to."

"Alright. Sleep well, Professor Snape," Harry said as he quietly left the room.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: This chapter has been ready for a while, but I was having the hardest time uploading it. Thanks for the reviews from last chapter. Can Harry and Snape continue to get along? Will Snape ever relent and allow Harry to make his potions for him? Stay tuned…


	16. Chapter 16

_Last chapter:_

"_Why don't you go read or something for a while, Potter? I'm going to rest, and you probably have better things to do with your time than stare at me while I sleep. You can explore the house or go outside for a bit if you want to." _

"_Alright. Sleep well, Professor Snape," Harry said as he quietly left the room._

-0-0-0-0-0-0

After Harry had left Snape's bedroom, he decided to go outside. He was curious about what the rest of the house looked like, but he figured that he would wait a bit longer before exploring it. Snape had said that the wards had locked down the house, and Harry wanted to see what would happen if he tried to leave.

Harry opened the front door and walked outside. The house looked pretty isolated since no houses seemed to be in the near vicinity. There was a garden growing around the house, and not only were flowers present in it, but Harry thought he spotted some plants that could be used as potion's ingredients. He guessed that magic must have been taking care of the garden since Snape probably had not visited the house in a while.

Leisurely strolling around the grounds, Harry gazed curiously at everything. There were beautiful shade trees dotting the landscape, and Harry spotted a pond nearby. After he had been walking for a while, he abruptly stopped when his body hit an invisible force. Harry backed up a little bit before slowly reaching out his hands and placing them against the wards. He gently pushed into the air, but the wards wouldn't give.

Since it appeared that they really would be stuck in the house for a while, Harry gave a defeated sigh and trudged back towards the house. Snape was being very stubborn about not letting him brew the healing potions. Harry knew that he could probably brew them while Snape was sleeping at some point; however, Harry refused to do anything about it until his professor gave in and asked him for help. He would allow Snape to make his own decisions and live in unnecessary pain if that was what he wanted. Besides, Harry figured that the man would eventually give in.

Harry knew that he would have to take care of Snape while the man was injured, but Harry hoped that the man wouldn't be horrible to him. Being stuck in bed for who knew how long would not make Snape happy. His professor would probably get up the first chance he could, not caring if he was hurting himself worse. Harry decided that he would go inside and see if he could find the potions lab. He wouldn't try to brew anything just yet, but he figured that he could at least find out where everything was located.

After quietly closing the front door behind him, Harry started walking up the stairs. It took him a few minutes of opening and closing doors before he found the potions lab. Even though the countertops were covered in a thin layer of dust, everything else was neatly arranged. The shelves around the room held all of the books and instruments needed for brewing. There was a door on the other side of the lab, and once Harry had opened it, he saw that the small room contained Snape's potions ingredients.

Harry left the ingredients cupboard and stood in the middle of the lab surveying the room. He didn't really have anything else to do for the rest of the day, so he figured that he could clean up the lab and make it usable in the near future. He would have used his wand to clean the room; however, he didn't know any spells for cleaning. Besides, the manual labor would give him something productive to do while Snape slept.

Spotting some rags and a bucket, Harry headed over to the sink in order to get some water. Once the bucket had filled with water, Harry put some soap into it before tackling the first dusty counter. He didn't think that he would be able to finish cleaning the room that day, but he figured that he could work on it just a little bit at a time.

-0-0-0-0-0

Looking around the lab, Harry grinned in accomplishment. He had been able to clean the countertops, and he had even had time to start working on the dirty cauldrons. His body was feeling a little bit weary; however, Harry felt satisfied with the amount of work that he had finished. He would have just enough time to take a brief shower and clean himself up before lunchtime.

Harry walked back downstairs and silently made the way to his bedroom. He didn't know if Snape would be awake yet, but Harry hoped that the man hadn't needed anything while he had been busy cleaning.

It had only taken a few minutes before Harry felt refreshed from his shower and ready to make some simple sandwiches for lunch. He was glad that even though Snape did not visit this house very much, the kitchen was still stocked with plenty of food. The food was apparently kept fresh and ready to use at any time.

Once he had put some turkey sandwiches on two trays along with some juice and fruit, Harry walked over to Snape's door and nudged it open with his hip. The professor was sitting up in bed reading a book; however, he looked up whenever Harry entered the room.

Harry brought the tray over to Snape before settling himself on the couch. Even though Snape had had doubts about eating Harry's cooking that morning, he apparently had no problems with it this time.

"So, what were you up to this morning, Potter?" Snape asked after taking a sip of his drink.

"Well, I walked around outside for a bit. I've just been inside since then." Harry decided not to tell Snape just yet about his cleaning spree. He figured that he could surprise the man once he was finished. "Have you been awake long?"

"It's only been about thirty minutes. While you were inside this morning, did you explore the house?" questioned Snape.

"No," Harry replied before cautiously asking, "Is there anything that I need to know about the house? Any rooms that I can't enter?"

"You may go into any of the rooms in the house. The only thing that I ask of you is that you knock before entering my bedroom. Even though you are allowed to go into any room in the house, I would also appreciate if you would refrain from snooping into any of my things without asking."

Snape didn't snarl out that last sentence or make any snide comment about the Pensieve incident; however, Harry found himself coloring slightly as he murmured his consent. When Snape shifted positions, Harry noticed that he winced a bit because of his injuries. Harry just raised an eyebrow and stared pointedly at his professor.

Once Snape had settled against the pillow, he looked over at Harry and saw his look. "No, Potter."

"What, Professor?" Harry innocently asked. "I didn't say anything."

"No, you didn't, but you were thinking about it. You are not going to brew anything for me. I don't want my lab blown up or the potion to turn poisonous…"

"Alright, sir. I understand," Harry calmly answered. He knew that it would only be a matter of time. "So, whenever you are well enough to lower the wards, how are you going to do it? Can you use my wand, or can you do it wandlessly?"

"I believe that I have a spare wand around here somewhere," replied Snape. "It belonged to my grandfather on my mother's side. I'm not sure where it is now, however, so we will need to hunt for it. I haven't seen it in many years."

"Do you have any idea how long it might take you to heal?" Harry carefully inquired.

"I don't know."

There was silence as they finished eating their lunch. Once they had both cleared their trays, Harry stood up in order to take the trays back to the kitchen.

"I am going to continue reading for a while, Potter. You may do as you wish," Snape said dismissively.

"Okay. I think that I'm going to go work on some of my summer homework. If you get tired of reading, I'll come back and keep you company once I finish my schoolwork."

Snape looked surprised at that statement. He hadn't expected Harry to want to spend any more time with him than was necessary. After getting over his initial surprise, Snape schooled his features into a blank look and nodded in acquiescence.

Harry gave him a slight smile before leaving the room. He threw away the food scraps and washed off the trays. Once everything was taken care of, Harry walked to his room and took out his Defense book.

-0-0-0-0-0

Over the next two days, a routine had begun to develop. Harry would wake up and cook breakfast after which he and Snape enjoyed a comfortable time together eating. He would then let his professor have some alone time as Harry continued to clean up the potions lab until lunch. Once lunch was over with, Harry would either do some more homework, go outside for some flying, or he would spend some time with Snape.

Harry was currently studying some Transfiguration while lying on the couch in Snape's room. His professor had casually told Harry that he could bring his homework into his bedroom if he wanted so that he could help Harry if he needed it. Harry hadn't expected the offer, but he was glad to accept it. While Harry worked, Snape was working on his lesson plans for the next school year.

Looking up when he heard movement, Harry saw that his professor was struggling out of the bed and trying to make his way over to the bathroom. Harry wanted to help the man, but he didn't think that Snape would allow it. Deciding to just wait and see what would happen, Harry continued to face his book while secretly watching Snape out of the corner of his eye.

After a few minutes, Snape emerged from the bathroom and limped back over to the bed. He was wincing in pain, but he forced himself to not make any sound. Once he had flopped back down on the bed, he looked over at Harry. Sensing that Snape had something important to say, Harry abandoned his pretense of studying and turned his full attention to his professor.

"Potter," Snape said with a deep sigh. "I will allow you to attempt to brew my potions." Upon seeing Harry's smirk of satisfaction, Snape sternly continued speaking, "However, I am going to oversee you while you work."

"Professor," Harry disbelievingly responded, "You had a hard enough time staggering into the bathroom. How do you expect to make it upstairs much less sit around the lab for a few hours?"

"I have endured pain before, and I shall do it again. If I am there in the lab with you, I will be able to make sure that you don't blow anything up."

"Fine," Harry replied. He knew that Snape would probably not change his mind on this. "Do you want to do it now or later?"

"We might as well do it now."

Silently, Harry walked over to Snape and offered his arm. Snape said nothing as he grabbed the arm for support. It was a slow journey going down the hall, up the stairs, and then into the lab. By the time that they had made it there, Snape was having a little trouble breathing. Harry helped him to sit down on a stool, which he then transfigured into a comfortable armchair.

Once Snape had begun breathing easier, he looked around in astonishment. "Potter, did you clean up my lab?"

"Yeah," Harry amusedly answered. "I figured that we would be using the lab soon."

Snape eventually found it in himself to reply. "Well, I appreciate your effort and foresight."

Harry began grabbing a cauldron and other things for the brewing. When he reached the wall of potions books, Harry wordlessly glanced over at Snape.

"I want you to make a simple healing potion," Snape responded to Harry's questioning gaze. "It won't heal my most serious injuries, but it will take care of the more minor ones. Once those minor injuries are taken care of, I may feel well enough to make the specific potions that I will need. The instructions for the potion that I want you to make should be in the third book on the top shelf."

Harry stretched his body and plucked the book off of the shelf. He was quickly able to find the potion in the index and turn to the right page. Once Harry had retrieved all of the ingredients that he would need, Harry began preparing them for the potion.

Snape didn't say anything during the brewing; however, he was far from silent. Every now and then, he would snort or groan when Harry would make a mistake or not do something one hundred percent accurately. Even though Snape wasn't insulting him or breathing down his neck like in Potions class, Harry still was unable to concentrate as Snape made disapproving noises while continuously staring at him.

The potion was supposed to be a light blue, but his potion was just a few shades darker. With Snape's distracting presence, Harry was somewhat surprised that his potion had actually turned out to be that close; however, Snape was not impressed.

"Well, all I can say is that you did not blow up my lab. I would obviously not drink that potion, though, since it is not exact. I will just have to wait for my injuries to heal more thoroughly before I can brew my own potions. I did not really expect you to be able to make this potion."

Harry felt angry at Snape's remarks. "If you hadn't been distracting me, I would have been able to make the potion without any mistakes," Harry retorted.

"Distracting? How was I distracting you?" Snape asked.

"You were making me nervous by carefully watching my every move. Not only that, but you kept making these noises whenever I would mess up."

"A competent brewer would not allow those things to bother him," Snape sternly replied. "You need to learn to tune those things out while brewing. If you are only competent whenever you are alone and the room is deadly silent, then you are not much of a brewer."

Harry forced himself to calm down. He knew that some of Snape's comments were true, even though they still managed to aggravate him. "Professor, I do agree with you on some of that. I know that I will never be as competent of a brewer as you; however, I think that I can do a better job brewing potions than I often get credit for. Please leave me alone for a while and let me do this by myself."

Snape was shocked that Harry had agreed with him. He hesitated in allowing Harry's request, though.

"Look, sir. I'm sure that you want to rest for a while. You can rest in one of the bedrooms up here while I brew, and then you can test the potion afterwards. You have already seen that I won't blow up the lab, so you should trust me to make this potion. I almost had it right this time."

Giving in to Harry's request, Snape sighed in agreement. "Fine, Potter. You can try this again. Go ahead and start the potion. I will walk myself down the hallway to the bedroom."

Harry nodded as he walked back into the storage room and began gathering fresh ingredients. When he had re-entered the lab, Snape had already left the room. Harry set down the ingredients and stood still for a moment. He took a deep breath and readied himself for the task. Wanting to show Snape that he could correctly brew a potion, Harry determinedly started preparing the ingredients.

During the whole creation of the potion, Harry found himself descending into a state of total concentration. He got himself into a rhythm of chopping and stirring and chopping some more. Harry never even noticed when, a few hours later, Snape slowly walked back into the lab. The Potions Master quietly re-took his seat and silently watched Harry brew.

Snape was pleasantly surprised as he saw Harry's abilities in brewing. He realized that the boy would never make a living in potions; however, Snape knew that the potion would be close to perfect whenever Harry finished with it. The potion would heal several of his injuries and be very helpful towards his goal of complete health.

The professor was very grateful that Harry had been taking care of him, but he was ready for the day when he would be able to take care of himself. He was a very independent man, and he had things that he needed to be doing.

Once Harry was finished brewing, Harry smiled in happiness and wiped the sweat from his brow with his arm. His smile faded on his face when he happened to look over and notice Snape sitting in the chair watching him. Snape stood up and limped over to the cauldron and peered into it.

"You did a good job brewing," Snape said.

Harry's jaw dropped open in shock. He couldn't remember Snape ever complimenting anyone in his class who wasn't a Slytherin.

Snape smirked when he saw Harry's face. "Yes, well, it looks like you added a pinch too much powered bicorn horn, and you may have stirred the potion one too many times. Grab five vials from the shelf and bottle up the potion."

Complying with his professor's orders, Harry quickly finished the assigned task. He pocketed the potion vials and quickly walked over to Snape. The man allowed Harry to help him back down the stairs and to his bedroom. Once Snape was resting in the bed, he drank from one of the vials and sighed in relief.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: Thanks for the reviews from the last chapter. Next chapter: Harry and Snape will get into a conversation which will reveal some shocking information. Harry will not be pleased by it.


	17. Chapter 17

_Last chapter:_

"_You did a good job brewing," Snape said._

_Harry's jaw dropped open in shock. He couldn't remember Snape ever complimenting anyone in his class who wasn't a Slytherin._

_Snape smirked when he saw Harry's face. "Yes, well, it looks like you added a pinch too much powered bicorn horn, and you may have stirred the potion one too many times. Grab five vials from the shelf and bottle up the potion."_

_Complying with his professor's orders, Harry quickly finished the assigned task. He pocketed the potion vials and quickly walked over to Snape. The man allowed Harry to help him back down the stairs and to his bedroom. Once Snape was resting in the bed, he drank from one of the vials and sighed in relief._

-0-0-0-0-0

The next day Snape proclaimed that he felt well enough to get out of bed and brew at least one potion. When he had woken up that morning, Snape had swallowed some more of the healing potion which Harry had made the day before. There were still a few vials left, however, and Snape said that he would continue to use them while he made more specific potions for himself. Snape had asked Harry if he would like to help him by preparing some ingredients, and even though Harry had been very surprised by the request, he had quickly agreed.

After eating a small breakfast, Snape and Harry walked upstairs to the lab. Harry chopped and minced ingredients while Snape sat on a stool nearby and added the ingredients to the bubbling cauldron. Despite the fact that Harry thought that Snape was probably pushing himself too hard and too soon, Harry kept his mouth shut. Snape wasn't likely to listen to him on this matter. Besides, both he and Snape wanted to leave the house and be in contact with the wizarding world as soon as possible.

When Harry realized that he needed a few more ingredients, he walked back into the storage room and grabbed what was necessary for the potion. As he was leaving the ingredients cupboard, his upper arm accidentally hit the door.

"Ow."

Snape continued to stir the potion, but he glanced in Harry's direction. "What happened?"

Harry sat the ingredients down on the counter before rolling up the sleeve of his shirt. After his upper arm was exposed, they were both able to see a gash on Harry's skin. The cut wasn't currently bleeding, but the area had scabbed over and it was a bit red.

Snape stopped working on his potion when it was in a resting stage and walked over to Harry. "How did you hurt your arm?"

"In the duel with the Death Eaters when I was rescuing you. One of them hit me with a Cutting Curse," Harry replied.

After rummaging around in his pocket, Snape pulled out one of the vials of healing potions that Harry had made. "Here. Drink this."

"It's not that bad, Professor. Besides, you need the potion more than I do."

Stuffing the vial in Harry's hand before walking back over to tend the cauldron, Snape answered. "The potion that I gave you is milder than the ones that I need. You made that potion so you should be able to use it. Whenever I am fully healed, I will be able to make something for you which will cause your wound to go away so you won't scar."

Harry thanked the professor for the potion, but Snape only waved his gratitude away. The two of them continued working on the potion is silence. Once the potion was well underway, Harry relaxed a bit and decided to start a conversation. "I've been wondering, Professor. How did Voldemort know that you were a spy? I thought that he wasn't suspicious of you."

Snape paused in his stirring before talking. "Well, I had been brewing a potion when I felt the Dark Mark burn. This was two days before you found me. I hurriedly stopped what I was doing before dressing in the Death Eater outfit and Apparating to the Dark Lord's hideout."

_xXxXxXxX_

_Flashback:_

When Snape arrived at his destination, he quickly joined the circle of Death Eaters. Voldemort was not in the room when he had taken his place in the formation; however, everyone quieted down when the man walked into the room soon after. Snape saw Voldemort looking around the room, assessing his followers and insuring that everyone was there. Despite the fact that Voldemort spent several seconds staring at each person, Snape felt that the Dark Lord's gaze concentrated on him longer than on anyone else.

Silence reigned as Voldemort continued his leisurely walk around the room. He finally went into the center of the circle and turned his eyes to Snape. "Ah, Severus. Step forward."

Snape had not been nervous coming to the meeting, but his heart began to beat a little harder in his chest. He forced his face to reveal nothing as he strongly Occluded his mind. After stopping in front of the Dark Lord, he briefly kneeled before standing back up.

"Yes, my Lord?"

Voldemort paced in front of Snape, but he continued to keep his gaze on the man. "I have heard that Potter was taken from his relatives quite a while ago because they were abusing him. The newspapers and the wizarding didn't know where he was afterwards, but I found out for a fact that he was staying at Hogwarts. Now, I know that you have been at Hogwarts all of this time also, so why is it that you didn't inform me of any of this?"

Staring Voldemort right in the eye, Snape proceeded to lie. "That old fool Dumbledore was watching my every move. I would have brought Potter to you, my Lord, but Potter was well protected by the Headmaster. I never had a chance to come to you and tell you about the current situation. I did not want Dumbledore to be suspicious of me."

Voldemort continued to stare at him while raising one of his eyebrows in disbelief. "You were spotted several places looking for Potter along with Order members. From what my sources were able to glean by overhearing conversations between all of you, it appears that Potter has run away."

Snape felt like Voldemort was hiding something from him. He maintained his calm as he continued to speak. "Potter was upset when the newspaper printed the story about the abuse. That is why he ran away. I tried my hardest to find him alone during the search for him because I was eager to bring him to you. That is the only reason why I would ever willingly search for a Potter."

When Voldemort heard Snape's reasoning, he stopped in front of him and pointed his wand at him. "I know that you are lying to me, Severus. I have suspected for a while that you were not loyal to me, so I took the liberty to have some of my faithful Death Eaters follow you around whenever you left the grounds of Hogwarts. They uncovered several interesting pieces of information about you, traitor."

Without giving Snape a chance to reply, Voldemort incanted the Cruciatus Curse. Snape fell down to one knee while bending forward and bracing one hand on the floor. Not wanting to give the Dark Lord or the Death Eaters any satisfaction, Snape clenched his teeth together hard and withheld his screams.

After a few seconds passed, Voldemort jerked up his wand and ended the curse. Snape struggled to his feet and glared defiantly at him. The Death Eaters were very silent as they watched the events that were unfolding.

"I hope that you realize that you are not going to live much longer. You will be begging for death when we are through with you," Voldemort sneered. He briefly looked over at his followers. "Each of you will get a turn in torturing him; however, do not kill him just yet. I still have many things that I want to discuss with him."

Voldemort stepped back and allowed the first Death Eater to take his spot. Snape stared unflinchingly at his tormentor, not showing any feeling on his face. The curses and spells continued to hit him without pause for ten minutes. Snape was lying semi-consciously on the ground when Voldemort called a halt to the activities. Despite the fact that he felt horrible, Snape pulled from his energy reserves in order to narrow his eyes at the Dark Lord.

"If you give me some information, I might be more lenient on you," Voldemort offered. "I know that you have been around Potter for a while, so you must have some information on him that would be helpful for me. Plus, you have probably been a member of the Order for a while, so you must know what they are doing. Where is Potter? What has the Order been planning?"

Snape continued to lie on the floor in rebellious silence. Voldemort waited a few seconds to see if the man would say anything, but the longer that the silence lasted, the angrier that Voldemort became. Enraged, he flung his wand in Snape's direction and cast another Cruciatus.

The pattern continued for several more minutes. Voldemort would ask the Potions Master questions, Snape would sometimes defiantly retort, and then the round of curses would begin again. After this happened a while, Voldemort finally gave up for the time being.

Voldemort motioned two Death Eaters over. "I want you to take him down into the dungeons and put him in one of the cells there. We will bring him back up later in order to deal with him again."

The two men bowed and murmured their agreement. They roughly grabbed Snape under the arms and dragged him out of the room. The rough treatment continued until they had reached the bottom floor. Snape was unceremoniously tossed into the room, and the door was slammed shut.

xXxXxXxX

"The Death Eaters and the Dark Lord continued to injury me several times until you rescued me. How did you wind up there?" Snape curiously inquired.

"I was in Diagon Alley because I wanted the newspaper so that I could see what had been going on while I was away. I overheard some of the Death Eaters in an alley talking about you being tortured, so I grabbed the sleeve of one of them when they Disapparated. I guess you can figure out what happened after that," Harry replied.

"Where in the world have you been all of this time?" asked Snape, a bit of rebuke in his voice.

Harry continued to prepare ingredients as they talked. "I stayed at Godric's Hollow."

"Godric's Hollow," Snape repeated. It only took a few seconds for him to realize the significance of the town. A knowing look suddenly dawned on his face. "That's where your parents lived."

"Yes," responded Harry with a hint of sadness. "I've always wanted to see where they lived."

"I understand that you were upset, Harry, but that was very foolish of you to leave Hogwarts," Snape seriously answered. "Voldemort found out that you were missing from the school because he overheard Order members looking for you while his followers were tracking me."

"But, Professor, if the Order couldn't find me, how did you expect Voldemort to be able to? No one even thought about looking for me in Godric's Hollow. Why _would_ anyone have expected me to be there?"

"Potter, they might not have thought to look in Godric's Hollow, but you were apparently wandering around Diagon Alley at least twice. Besides, what if some wizard or witch saw you in Godric's Hollow? People knew that you had been abused by your relatives, so they would be very eager to spot you somewhere. If someone had recognized you, it wouldn't have taken long before the wrong sorts of people found out about it."

As the potion reached a critical stage, Snape abruptly signaled for silence. Even though the Potions Master wanted it quiet for a few minutes, he had given Harry a look that Harry knew meant that their conversation was far from over. Once he had finished cutting up the last ingredients, Harry silently picked them up and carried them over to Snape.

Snape artfully stirred the potion and silently counted the turns under his breath. He had been sitting on the stool for a long time, but he didn't allow it to affect his brewing. Snape's injuries apparently twinged as he worked; however, it was only noticeable whenever the man slowly grimaced.

In order to make things easier for Snape, Harry handed him the ingredients as they were needed. The only acknowledgement that his professor made at the time was by giving a nod of his head. After ten more minutes the potion was finally finished.

"Hand me a few of the vials off of the shelves," Snape instructed.

Harry quickly complied and brought them over. Once the potion had been bottled up, Snape drank from one of them. He pocketed the rest of the vials before turning back to Harry.

"That is much better. There still are a few more potions that I will require; however, I don't think that it will take too much longer. Once that is taken care of, we will be able to leave soon afterwards." After a short pause, Snape said, "I appreciate your assistance this morning, Mr. Potter."

"You're welcome," Harry replied.

"Now," Snape briskly spoke, "back to our conversation. I know that Hogwarts has allowed admittance to several people throughout the years who have hurt you…"

Harry snorted in disgust. That was a huge understatement. His face grew somber, however, as his left hand subconsciously began rubbing over the scars on the top of his right hand.

"What is it?" Snape asked, realizing that something was bothering Harry.

"Nothing," Harry quickly replied.

Since Harry had been standing beside Snape, the man's hand shot out and grabbed Harry's wrist. He then used his free hand to pull Harry's sleeve up. A gasp sounded whenever he saw the words 'I will not tell lies' etched on the hand. Harry attempted to pull his hand out of his professor's grip, but Snape only held on tighterr. Gently rubbing his fingers over the scars, Snape looked questioningly at Harry.

"How did you get this?"

Harry sighed heavily. "When I had detention with Umbridge this past year, she made me write lines with some sort of quill which used my blood for ink."

A dangerous fire showed in Snape's eyes. "That is outrageous and disgusting. Who did you tell about this?"

"Just Ron and Hermione," Harry quietly said. "No one else."

"And why not?" demanded Snape.

"Part of it was because I felt like it was some kind of war between the two of us. One that I was _not_ about to lose. I thought that by telling someone, it would be like admitting that she had gotten to me. Another reason that I didn't tell anyone was because I didn't feel like there was anyone I could tell. Professor Dumbledore wouldn't speak to me or even look at me, and the Ministry was taking over Hogwarts."

"I hope you understand now that by not telling anyone, you were allowing her to have power over you. She could continue to hurt you as long as no one was going to stop her," Snape reasoned.

Harry reluctantly nodded in agreement. When Snape saw that Harry didn't really want to discuss Umbridge anymore, he changed the subject.

"Why did you run away from Hogwarts? Was it just because of the newspaper article? You still should have stayed at the school. If you were worried about reporters or curious gawkers, Albus and I would have been able to keep them away from Hogwarts. We would have been able to protect you, not only from those people but also from the Dark Lord."

Harry grew angry just thinking about what had happened to him. He rapidly paced back and forth as he let out his frustrations. "I told Professor Dumbledore that I didn't want to talk to Child Services about the Dursleys. And what does he do? He goes to the Ministry behind my back and tells them about the abuse. Without my permission! Because of what he did, the newspaper somehow found out and decided to splay my personal life on their front page."

Snape paused for a second as he hesitated over revealing something. He finally decided that it was necessary for him to correct some false beliefs. Snape grasped Harry's arms and stopped the pacing. When Harry looked at him in irritation, the Potions Master gazed into his eyes and spoke.

"Harry, Albus didn't tell Child Services about the abuse. I did."

-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: Don't hate me! Snape had good intentions when he went to the Ministry. He will explain it all later.


	18. Chapter 18

_Last chapter:_

_Harry grew angry just thinking about what had happened to him. He rapidly paced back and forth as he let out his frustrations. "I told Professor Dumbledore that I didn't want to talk to Child Services about the Dursleys. And what does he do? He goes to the Ministry behind my back and tells them about the abuse. Without my permission! Because of what he did, the newspaper somehow found out and decided to splay my personal life on their front page."_

_Snape paused for a second as he hesitated over revealing something. He finally decided that it was necessary for him to correct some false beliefs. Snape grasped Harry's arms and stopped the pacing. When Harry looked at him in irritation, the Potions Master gazed into his eyes and spoke._

"_Harry, Albus didn't tell Child Services about the abuse. I did."_

-0-0-0-0-0-0

Silence filled the lab as Harry digested Snape's words. His mouth had dropped open in surprise, and his eyes had momentarily widened. Snape continued to look into Harry's eyes while allowing Harry to take all the time that he needed.

"You.What?" Harry finally ground out, slowly enunciating each word.

"I went to the Ministry and told a woman in the Child Services unit about your situation," Snape calmly replied.

Harry jerked his arms out of Snape's grip and slowly backed away from his professor. He stammered, "I can't believe… Why did you…?" After closing his eyes in disbelief, Harry took a deep breath. When he had opened his eyes again, they were shining with anger and hurt. "How could you? I trusted you. I thought that you would understand more than anyone else."

"Potter," Snape began before pausing for a bit. "Harry, I had good intentions when I went to the Ministry. Let's go down to the living room and discuss this rationally."

Shaking his head, Harry took a few more steps backwards. "I don't want to talk to you right now."

Once he had finished speaking, Harry turned around and ran out of the room. He didn't pay much attention to where he was going. As soon as he collapsed on the ground, Harry saw that he was outside sitting on the ground underneath a shade tree. He glanced behind him and noticed that the house was still visible from his position; however, the tree was fairly distant from the house.

Wearily leaning back against the tree trunk, Harry forced himself to relax. He hoped that Snape wouldn't come after him because he really didn't want to see the man any time soon. Even though he tried to relax, Snape's words kept coming back to him.

'_Albus didn't tell Child Services about the abuse. I did.'_

Harry felt sick just thinking about it. All this time he thought that Professor Dumbledore had been the one to betray him; however, he had been wrong. He had confided in Snape about his home life and about his feelings, and how did Snape repay him? Snape went to the Ministry and told them his secrets.

He had thought that he could trust Snape. His professor told him that he had worked with abused children before, so Harry believed that Snape would understand his feelings for wanting to keep everything quiet.

Snape said that his intentions were good when he went to the Ministry, but Harry didn't even want to talk to the man about it yet. He didn't think that Snape would be able to find him outside. The tree hid his body from the house's view, and Snape wasn't completely healed from his injuries. Hopefully his professor would give him some space and time alone for a while. The two of them would still be stuck in the house for a few more days, so Harry wished that they could at least get along until then.

As Harry lay comfortably against the tree, the nice breeze blew through the air and rustled the leaves. Despite the fact that it wasn't even lunchtime, Harry felt his eyes falling closed. He was still fuming over Snape's actions, but he couldn't stop himself as he fell asleep.

When Harry's eyes finally fluttered open, he was startled to realize that it was dark. He apparently slept the whole day. Even though he really didn't want to see Snape, he knew that they would need to get their talk out of the way. He could probably attempt to ignore the man until they left Snape's house, but Harry told himself that he would at least listen to what his professor had to say. Harry didn't think that Snape could possibly say anything that would curb his hurt and anger; however, he would wait until Snape explained before doing anything rash.

It would be hard to forgive Snape, especially right away, but he wanted to forgive him. He and Snape had been getting along surprisingly well while he was staying at Hogwarts and while living at Snape's house. Harry had loved Sirius and trusted him, but Sirius was now dead. He knew that he wasn't alone, he had Ron and Hermione after all; however, he wanted an adult that he could confide in and go to for help.

Getting to his feet, Harry stretched and mentally braced himself for the upcoming conversation. After deciding that he better just go and get it over with, he slowly began walking back to the house. Once he opened the door and walked into the living room, he saw that Snape was sitting in a chair looking concerned. As soon as he spotted Harry, Snape relaxed a bit and became relieved.

"Where have you been?" snapped the Potions Master.

"I was just outside," Harry answered. He was somewhat surprised that Snape had been worried about his whereabouts.

"I looked outside for you. I looked all over the house for you. I decided earlier that I would give you some time alone after telling you my secret; however, whenever you didn't show up for lunch or supper, I became concerned and began searching the house and grounds," Snape replied.

"Sorry," Harry said. "I accidentally fell asleep under a tree."

Snape nodded at the response. An uncomfortable, awkward silence filled the air as the two just looked at each other. After a few minutes, Snape gestured for Harry to sit in a chair next to him, and Harry quickly complied. Neither one really knew how to start the difficult conversation.

Finally after waiting for Snape to talk, Harry decided that he might as well go ahead and say something. A lot of questions were buzzing through his head. "Why did you go to the Ministry when I specifically stated that I did not want to do that?"

"I knew that you weren't going to talk to the Ministry, but I also knew that it was vital that we do so. You needed a new guardian soon. People in the Order were already wondering about why you were no longer at the Dursleys, and it was only a matter of time before the Ministry found out that you weren't at your relatives anymore…"

Harry interrupted, "Professor, you and the Headmaster already went over all of this with me whenever the two of you were trying to persuade me to talk to the Ministry."

"I am aware of that," Snape patiently replied, "however, I am explaining to you why I took the actions that I did. Since you weren't going to tell the Ministry about the abuse and since Albus was going to continue to put it off for your sake, I decided to step in and do what I thought was best."

"Does Professor Dumbledore know that you did it?" Harry curiously asked.

"No. He did not know at the time that I did it, and he is still oblivious of the fact," answered Snape. He paused for a second before talking again. "Harry, I swear to you that the Daily Prophet was never supposed to find out about your home life. When I talked to Ms. Clancy at Child Services, she swore to me that everything would be kept silent. I used a little bit of Legilimency in order to see if she was genuine, and I assure you that she was."

"What do you think happened then?" inquired Harry.

"I don't know, but I could venture several guesses. Someone may have overheard our conversation. There are probably quite a few spies in the Ministry. Someone may have noticed me going into her office, and then he or she may have snuck into Ms. Clancy's office and looked at the paperwork. There are many other possibilities. I don't know if we will ever find out the truth of the matter."

Harry silently took in all of the information that he had heard so far before he began speaking again. "I know that I didn't want to go to the Ministry and tell them about the Dursleys, but couldn't we have gone to Child Services and lied to them about why I needed a new guardian? We could have said…something…anything else besides the fact that my relatives hated me and hurt me."

Giving a deep sigh, Snape responded. "Harry, the Dursleys should not be allowed to get away with what they have done to you. Lying to Child Services probably would have worked in getting you a new guardian, but then your uncle wouldn't get what he deserved. Before I was captured by the Death Eaters, I don't think that the Ministry had done anything to your relatives, but I think that it will only be a matter of time."

"Once we leave here, what's going to happen to me? Who's going to be my guardian?" Harry asked.

"I really do not know. Albus and I were too busy trying to convince you to talk to Child Services that we didn't have any time to go over those details. Albus may already have all of this planned out, but if he has, he has not shared any of it with me," replied Snape. He looked straight in Harry's eyes when he sincerely added, "We will make sure, however, that you are taken care of."

"Thanks," Harry said. It still seemed a little bit awkward between the two of them, but it looked like everything would gradually be okay again. He still felt a bit hurt that Snape would go to the Ministry behind his back; however, he could understand why his professor had done it. Even though the newspaper had found out about his home life, he thought that things might get better. He wouldn't have to stay with the Dursleys any more, and he could finally get a guardian who actually cared for him and wanted him.

Snape decided it was time to move the conversation in a different direction. "Why don't you go get something to eat? I know it's a bit late, but you didn't have lunch or supper. I have already eaten, so you can just make whatever you want."

"Okay," Harry replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better. The potion that we made this morning helped heal a lot of my injuries. I'll drink some more of it tomorrow, and I might brew some more potions tomorrow as well."

After saying good night to Harry, Snape headed off to his bedroom. Thinking that food sounded pretty good, Harry walked into the kitchen. Despite the fact that he had slept most of the day, he didn't think that it would take that long to fall asleep after eating. His talk with Snape had taken a big weight off of his shoulders, and he was glad that their conversation had gone so well.

-0-0-0-0-0-0

He had left Harry over an hour ago, yet Snape was having a hard time falling asleep. He had heard the boy moving around in the kitchen earlier, but everything was quiet now and he figured that Harry was finally asleep. After attempting to read for a few minutes, he eventually threw the book back on the nightstand.

Snape thought back over everything that had happened that day. He knew that it would take time for Harry to completely trust him again, but he thought that the boy now understood his motivations and intentions in going to the Ministry. He had been trying to help Harry by talking to the head of Child Services; he hadn't wanted to hurt or humiliate the boy.

While he continued to think, Snape realized that they should be able to leave the house soon. It would only take a few more potions before he was as good as new. The only other problem was the fact that they needed to locate his grandfather's old wand. The wand should allow him to take down the wards so that they could then go to Hogwarts. Once they were away from the house, he would go to Ollivanders and buy a new wand; however, he would be able to use his grandfather's wand for now.

His thoughts were cut off when he heard Harry cry out in pain. Snape quickly got out of bed and rushed down the hall. When he entered Harry's bedroom, he saw that Harry was thrashing on the bed and occasionally letting out a yell of pain. He wondered what was causing the boy to be in pain, but his musings were halted when his own Dark Mark flared. Hissing through his teeth at the unexpected pain, Snape realized what had caused Harry to cry out. Harry was having a vision, and judging by how the boy was reacting, something horrible was apparently happening right at that moment.

-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter is a little bit shorter than usual, but I had such a hard time writing it. I thought that once school was out for the semester that I would be able to write and update sooner; however, when I started to write this chapter, I was having major writer's block.

Anyway, thanks for the reviews from last chapter, and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter.


	19. Chapter 19

Last chapter:

_While he continued to think, Snape realized that they should be able to leave the house soon. It would only take a few more potions before he was as good as new. The only other problem was the fact that they needed to locate his grandfather's old wand. The wand should allow him to take down the wards so that they could then go to Hogwarts. Once they were away from the house, he would go to Ollivanders and buy a new wand; however, he would be able to use his grandfather's wand for now._

_His thoughts were cut off when he heard Harry cry out in pain. Snape quickly got out of bed and rushed down the hall. When he entered Harry's bedroom, he saw that Harry was thrashing on the bed and occasionally letting out a yell of pain. He wondered what was causing the boy to be in pain, but his musings were halted when his own Dark Mark flared. Hissing through his teeth at the unexpected pain, Snape realized what had caused Harry to cry out. Harry was having a vision, and judging by how the boy was reacting, something horrible was apparently happening right at that moment._

XxXxXxXxX

Giving Harry a firm shake, Snape attempted to wake the boy from the vision. Whatever was currently happening, Harry did not need to witness it. The boy had seen enough horrors in his lifetime. The twisted covers hampered Harry's movement, so Snape quickly pulled the sheets off of him. Without warning, Harry went completely limp. Snape waited a few seconds in order to see what would happen next. The only sound in the room was the heavy breathing of the boy lying in the bed.

Placing a hand on Harry's shoulder again, Snape called out. "Harry?"

Eyes springing open, Harry abruptly sat up. Snape had been standing beside the bed, but he slowly sat down on the edge as Harry's eyes wildly scanned the room. When Harry caught sight of his professor, he took a deep breath and began to calm himself down.

"What did you see?" Snape quietly asked.

Harry allowed his body to slowly relax against the pillow behind him. His heart rate was calming down, and he was glad to finally be awake. "Voldemort broke his followers out of Azkaban. Not only that, but he somehow convinced the Dementors to join his ranks…"

After Harry's voice trailed off, Snape patiently waited for him to continue. The news of the Azkaban break was unfortunate, but not surprising. The Dark Lord had broken into Azkaban before. Snape knew that something even more horrible must have happened for Harry to be reacting the way that he was.

Harry's eyes had drifted over to the window, and he wordlessly stared out into the dark night. While he was quietly sitting there, a single tear fell down his cheek.

Speaking in a whisper, Harry said, "After leaving the island, Voldemort decided to attack a Muggle town. Several people were killed, even a few…children. Those people never stood a chance…"

Shifting slightly on the bed, Snape leaned his back against the headboard. He stared straight ahead while slowly draping one arm around Harry's shoulders. Closing his eyes tightly, Harry leaned into his professor's side. As a former Death Eater, Snape knew exactly what they were capable of. He had witnessed them commit heinous atrocities. Many of his former friends liked to be as creative as possible when slaughtering others.

The two of them sat silently for half an hour. Feeling slightly awkward and unused to comforting another person, Snape rigidly sat beside the boy. He occasionally rubbed his hand up and down Harry's arm, but other than that, neither one of them moved.

When Harry began to move away, Snape immediately released his hold on the boy. Standing up, Snape walked over and grabbed a chair. He pulled the chair next to the bed before setting it down and seating himself.

"Sorry," Harry mumbled.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," replied Snape evenly. "I do not know exactly what you saw in your vision, but I have been involved with the Death Eaters long enough to guess some of what you may have witnessed."

Somewhat emboldened by Snape's words, Harry glanced over at his professor. "So what happens now?"

"The events tonight hasten our need to leave this house. I need to report back to Albus everything that has happened since I disappeared. There were important things that I learned while I was captured," Snape answered. "In the morning, you and I will search the house for my grandfather's wand. It is imperative that he find it quickly. Once we have found the wand, I will disable the wards, and we will go to Hogwarts."

"We could start looking for it now," Harry suggested.

Shaking his head, Snape said, "You have just had a traumatic experience, and we are both exhausted. I think that we could both use a good night's sleep."

Harry wanted to argue that finding the wand was more important than sleep, but his body disagreed. His eyelids were beginning to droop, and he allowed himself to lie back down.

Seeing that Harry had accepted his words, Snape stood up and returned the chair to the desk. By the time that he had turned back around, he saw that Harry had fallen back asleep. The covers were still off of the boy's body, so Snape tugged them up. Once that was accomplished, Snape quietly exited the room.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Slowly opening his eyes, Harry noticed the bright light that flooded his room. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he lazily glanced over at the clock. The tiredness left him when he saw that it was already 10:00. He quickly got out of bed and changed his clothes. Harry couldn't believe that he had slept so late. Normally he was awake before now. Stilling his movements briefly, Harry recalled the vision which had occurred last night. A slight blush colored his face when he remembered the events that happened after he had awakened from the vision.

A knock on the door caused Harry to turn around. "Come in."

The door opened, and Snape walked in. "Good, you're awake. Breakfast is on the table. After you finish eating, we will look for the wand."

"Yes, sir," Harry replied. The two stood staring at each other for a few seconds before Snape left the doorway and headed to the kitchen.

Harry continued to stand in the bedroom. Everything was confusing in his mind, and he felt like he needed some time to sort it out. He had felt hurt and betrayed whenever he had found out that it had been Snape who had told the Ministry about his relative's abuse towards him; however, Snape had tried to comfort him last night after the vision. Harry could tell that Snape had felt awkward doing it, but the man did not leave when he saw that Harry had needed someone.

Trying to push the thoughts out of his mind, Harry left the bedroom. He would think about it all later; there were more important things to worry about now. Entering the kitchen, Harry sat down in a chair and began piling food onto his plate. Snape was sitting across from him reading a potions book. Harry didn't want to interrupt his professor if the man was busy, yet Harry wanted to talk about a few things.

"Why do you think that I had that vision last night?" Harry questioned. "I've been practicing Occlumency ever since you explained it to me a few nights ago. I thought that I was doing better with it."

Sitting the book down on the table, Snape looked up. "I think that your anger over my confession mixed with the intensity of the Dark Lord's feelings last night caused your mind to be more open. I'm sure that with more time and practice you will be able to block these visions completely."

"Where do you think that we will be able to find your grandfather's wand?" asked Harry as he continued to eat.

"My guess is that it will be located in the attic. Many of the items belonging to my ancestors are there. With all the boxes up the attic, however, Merlin only knows where exactly it is."

Eager to find the wand and return to Hogwarts, Harry quickly finished his meal. After swallowing the last of his milk, Harry stood up. Snape placed a bookmark into the tome he had been reading before rising and gesturing for Harry to follow him. They walked down the hallway and trekked up the stairs. Turning to the fourth door on the left, Snape opened the door and entered a bedroom. Harry immediately spotted the opening for the attic near the corner of the ceiling. Within a few seconds, the cord had been pulled and the stairs descended.

Snape gracefully climbed up the old, rickety stairs first. Harry waited until the man had fully entered the darkness at the top before scrambling up after him. The stairs creaked underneath him, and Harry hoped they wouldn't collapse. By the time that he had reached the attic, the area was softly lit by a few candles. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Harry looked around at the spider webs and dust that littered every available surface. Boxes were piled against the walls, while the center aisle of the attic was free of debris.

"I will take the boxes on this side of the attic," Snape said while pointing, "and you will look through the boxes on the other side."

Harry nodded in understanding. Once Snape had wandered over to the first box, Harry groaned quietly under his breath. It could potentially take a while to find the wand. There wasn't even a guarantee that the wand was in the attic. They could be wasting an entire day searching the wrong area. Taking a deep breath, Harry braced himself for the hard work.

While he was first searching through boxes, Harry felt a little bit awkward. He knew that he had Snape's permission to look around, but it almost felt like he was invading the man's personal life. After an hour passed, however, Harry began to relax and allow his natural curiosity to show. Some of the items that he had come across were interesting, and he started to pay closer attention to them.

In one box, Harry found a thick photo album. Taking a quick glance behind him, Harry saw that Snape was busy and not paying any attention to him. Carefully opening the album, the yellowed pages crinkled with age. The first page showed a very young boy sitting between a man and a woman. The three people happily smiled at the camera, and the boy even gave a small wave. Looking at the neatly handwritten caption below the picture, Harry realized that the picture was of his professor and his professor's parents.

After seeing the caption, Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise. This was not what he would have pictured Snape and his family to look like. When he had been in Occlumency lessons, he had witnessed his professor's father yelling at his mother. Also, it was hard for Harry to imagine his professor ever being that happy. Usually the man was wearing a scowl or a frown on his face. Apparently Snape and his parents had once lived a happy life. Harry wondered what had occurred to change all of that.

Flipping through a few more pages of the photo album, Harry saw pictures of people that he didn't recognize. The names below the pictures suggested that they were probably other members of Snape's family. Upon seeing another picture of his teacher, Harry stopped turning the pages. The picture featured a young Snape dressed in his Hogwarts robes with his Slytherin badge on the chest.

"Having fun, Potter?"

Jumping in shock, the book slipped out of his hands. His arm accidentally brushed against a stack of boxes, and the pile began to tilt precariously in the other direction. Harry used his quick reflexes to reach out and steady the boxes before they could fall over and spill out their contents. Looking over at Snape, Harry saw that the man was smirking in amusement.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't hear you walk over here," Harry said. Remembering what Snape had caught him doing, Harry took a small peek back at the album. When he raised his gaze towards Snape, the man raised an eyebrow. Embarrassed, Harry apologized, "Sorry. I didn't mean to look through your stuff. I just saw it lying there…"

Interrupting him, Snape replied, "In this instance, I do not mind you indulging your curiosity; however, we do need to find the wand soon. I would like to leave this house some time today."

"Right," Harry said.

"It's about time for lunch, so we'll take a break now and fix something to eat. We can come back up here afterwards."

Once Snape had started walking towards the stairs, Harry hurriedly picked up the photo album and stuffed it back into the box. Shutting the flaps on the box, Harry pushed it over to the finished pile. Even though they had been up in the attic for a couple of hours, they still had a lot of searching left to do. Snape hadn't even been sure that the wand was in the attic. After stretching his aching back, Harry headed downstairs.

While Harry washed his hands at the kitchen sink, Snape began to make some chicken sandwiches. Grabbing some plates and silverware, Harry set the table before sitting down and relaxing. Harry watched Snape while the man cooked the chicken and created a small salad. The man's potion making ability shone clearly through as every movement was methodical and precise. It made Harry smile a little to see that some things didn't change.

"Thanks," Harry said when Snape brought the food to the table and handed him the platter of sandwiches.

Silence settled in the room for a few seconds as they started to eat. When Harry looked over at his professor after a several minutes, he noticed that the man was staring at him.

Snape spoke, "I am sure that you saw some interesting things in the attic this morning. You may ask a few questions."

Harry was shocked by Snape's words, but he decided to take advantage of the opportunity if the man was willing to talk. Trying to carefully word his inquiries, Harry replied, "When I was looking through that photo album, I saw a few pictures of you and your family. There was one picture where you were standing with your parents, and everyone seemed really happy; however, in our Occlumency lessons, I saw that things looked…different between your family."

"And you want to know what happened?" Snape asked quietly.

"Only if you don't mind," responded Harry.

Setting his fork down, Snape looked Harry in the eye. "When I was four years old, my father's twin sister Serena was murdered by a wizard. The Ministry never caught the man who did it. My father was outraged, and it drove him to begin drinking. He took out his anger on my mother and me. He began to resent the fact that my mother and I had magic."

Not really knowing how to answer, Harry said, "I'm sorry."

Waving away Harry's apology, Snape continued talking, "Once I graduated from Hogwarts, I never really spoke to my father again. He died a few years ago."

Abruptly standing up, Snape began to clear the table. Harry took that as his cue to stop asking questions. At least the man had answered him and not gotten angry. Learning about his professor's early life was intriguing for Harry. The man was usually very closed up about his personal life. Laying his dirty dishes in the sink, Harry pondered the information that he had learned. It could help explain why Snape made some of the decisions that he did in life, such as becoming a Death Eater. Harry could understand how hurtful it was to experience degradation and insults from people who are supposed to love you.

Without another word, Snape exited the room and began the trek back upstairs. The man didn't acknowledge Harry, but Harry knew that he was supposed to follow him. The attic was still as dirty and disorderly whenever they reentered it. Knowing that the sooner they found the wand, the sooner they could get back to civilization, Harry tried to move through the boxes quicker.

Two hours slowly passed. Harry paused to rub his weary eyes and to stand up from his kneeling position. One of his knees popped whenever he stood, and Harry let out a slight groan. He didn't think that he could take much more of this. They had been searching through these stupid boxes for several hours, yet they had not found a single thing to help them.

As Harry began to turn to let Snape know that he was done for the day, Harry spotted a small box hidden in the shadows. Deciding that one more box couldn't hurt, he crouched down and reached out. His hands grabbed the box, and he carefully pulled it towards him. Opening the flaps, Harry was disappointed to find the box full of old wizard's clothing. Carefully pulling each item out, Harry set them beside him on the floor. Once he reached the bottom, he found that there wasn't a wand there.

"Figures," Harry mumbled.

Dejectedly tossing the clothes back into the box, Harry grabbed one of the ratty, old robes. He almost dropped the robe into the box, but his hand stilled and hovered over the top once he realized that his fingers were closed around something hard and solid. With trembling fingers, Harry reached into the pocket and pulled out a long, dark wand. Staring unbelievingly at the wand, he didn't move for a few seconds.

"Well, I think that we have been working up here long enough," Snape said. Harry vaguely registered the words in his mind. "We need to rest now, and then we can return tomorrow. It should only take one more day to finish going through the boxes."

Slowly standing up, Harry turned around and held his palms out with the wand resting on them. The shock of the discovery wore off and a huge grin lit up his face.

"I found it," Harry replied happily.

Snape's eyes traveled from Harry's face to the wand and back again. Taking the wand into his hand, Snape held the wand in the air and inspected it in the low light. Relief filled his face, and he looked back at Harry. "So you did. Well done."

The two stood there for a moment longer. They had been looking for the wand for so long, but now that they found it, they took a moment to just relax and allow the feeling of liberation to flow over them.

Harry finally broke the silence. "I just need to pack up my stuff, and then I'll be ready to go. It shouldn't take long."

"There are a few things that I would like to gather as well. Meet me in the living room in fifteen minutes."

Walking the stairs, the two went their separate ways. Harry quickly went to his room and began to throw things into his trunk. He hadn't really taken a lot of stuff out of his trunk, so he was glad when he could finally shut the lid and close the lock. Dragging the trunk down the hall, Harry let his trunk fall to the floor in the living room. While waiting for Snape, Harry took one last look around the house. His time spent alone with his professor hadn't been as horrible as he thought it might. They had been able to get along really well.

Carrying a bag, Snape walked into the room. "Good, you're ready. We will need to go outside so that I can lower the wards and Disapparate us. We will wind up outside of Hogwarts grounds."

Harry nodded in response and followed the man outside. After walking a few feet, they came to a stop. Snape lowered his bag to the ground before pulling the wand out of his pocket and raising it. Standing still, Harry listened to the man as he muttered spells under his breath. Harry kept his gaze trained on his professor and waited to see if everything would work out as planned.

A slight shimmer in the air alerted Harry to the fact that at least something was happening. The shimmer soon dimmed, and when Snape opened his eyes, the air was motionless.

"Did it work?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Yes," replied Snape smirk. "Did you doubt my abilities to remove the wards on my own house?"

Not giving Harry any time to reply, Snape picked up his bag from the ground. Grabbing Harry's arm, Snape Disapparated them both.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: I know that it's been forever, but I finally got this chapter done. In the next chapter, Harry and Snape will arrive at Hogwarts and meet up with Dumbledore.


	20. Chapter 20

Last chapter:

_A slight shimmer in the air alerted Harry to the fact that at least something was happening. The shimmer soon dimmed, and when Snape opened his eyes, the air was motionless._

"_Did it work?" Harry asked hopefully._

"_Yes," replied Snape smirk. "Did you doubt my abilities to remove the wards on my own house?"_

_Not giving Harry any time to reply, Snape picked up his bag from the ground. Grabbing Harry's arm, Snape Disapparated them both._

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Landing outside Hogwarts's gates, Harry breathed a little sigh of relief. Even though he had been angry when he had left Hogwarts almost two weeks ago, he was still glad to be back. Hogwarts was like home to him. Grabbing their stuff, Harry and Snape walked through the gateway and entered the grounds. Everything looked normal, but Harry knew that that would all change soon enough. His professor had told him that the Order had been searching for him, and Harry would be willing to bet that the search teams had also begun looking for Snape once the man didn't return from the Death Eater meeting.

The sound of the front doors of Hogwarts opening caused Harry's head to shoot up. In the doorway, Dumbledore stood with a smile on his face. Walking the last few feet, Harry and Snape stopped in front of the Headmaster.

"Harry. Severus. I am glad to see that you are both alright."

When Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him into a hug, Harry allowed himself to relax. The hug lasted a few seconds before Dumbledore pulled back and clasped a hand on Snape's shoulder. The Headmaster looked them both over for injuries. Satisfied with what he saw, Dumbledore said, "Come. We will go to my office for a while before going to the Hospital Wing. Poppy will want the chance to check over you both."

The walk to Dumbledore's office was quiet. The halls were empty and looked unused. Occasionally Harry head a portrait comment on their return. Trying to ignore the whispered voices talking about him, Harry was glad once they reached their destination. In the office, everyone settled down in a chair and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Look who we have here."

The three males turned and looked at the portrait who had spoken. Phineas Nigellus was looking at Harry and Snape interestedly.

Realizing that the portrait could be useful, Dumbledore replied, "Phineas, I need you to return to Headquarters and inform everyone that Harry and Severus are here. I know that certain people would like to see Harry immediately; however, tell them that they are to remain there. I will bring Harry and Severus there as soon as we are done talking."

Smiling slightly, Harry quietly said, "I don't think that Hermione or the Weasleys will appreciate that."

"I'm sure that they won't," Dumbledore chuckled, "yet we should not be here for too long. They will see you soon enough."

Once Phineas had left, the mood in the office became more serious. Harry knew that Dumbledore was going to want to know everything that had happened since Harry had run away. Of course, the Headmaster wouldn't be the only one who would be curious. He would be explaining himself several times he was sure before everyone would be willing to leave him alone.

"Harry?" Dumbledore inquired. Harry had been looking blankly out the window, but he turned upon hearing his name. "It is good to have you back safely, my boy. Where have you been all this time?"

Settling himself in the chair for a long talk, Harry began to speak. He explained why he left Hogwarts, the places that he visited afterwards, and he ended by talking about how he rescued Snape and stayed with the man in his professor's house. Both Dumbledore and Snape remained quiet while Harry was talking.

When Harry finished, Snape said, "What is to be done with the Dursleys?"

Interested, Harry looked at Dumbledore. To Harry, it seemed like it had been a long time since he had left the Dursleys, even though reality was that he had left their house only three weeks ago. A lot of things had happened to him since then.

"Since the newspaper article, the wizarding world has been calling for some action against the Dursleys." Turning to Harry, Dumbledore said, "People now realize that you were telling the truth all along about Voldemort being back. They want to do whatever they can now to help you."

Harry scoffed. He knew how fickle people were when it came to him. The wizarding world had turned their backs on him after the Daily Prophet said that he was a liar, and now people were pretending like none of that had happened. They were just trying to get on his good side.

Understanding Harry's feelings, Dumbledore responded, "It is unfortunate that things have turned out this way, but at least the Ministry realized that it would be best for them to do something about the situation. The Dursleys were taken into custody a few days ago."

Even though he hated the fact that everyone now knew how he had been treated by his relatives, Harry was grateful that he wouldn't ever have to go back to them. The Dursleys were hopefully going to receive some retribution for their treatment of him.

Cautiously continuing, the Headmaster said, "The Ministry cannot hold the Dursleys for much longer without some kind of evidence. They will want to speak with you at some point." Seeing that Harry was getting upset, Dumbledore raised a hand to silence him. "Severus, Poppy, Minerva, and I can answer any questions that the Ministry has. We can also show them some pensieved memories of your injuries, but you may still need to talk to them as well. It will be unpleasant for you, of course; however, one of us will be with you the entire time if that is what you wish."

Although Harry had been reluctant to talk with the Ministry a week ago, he had now come to realize that he didn't have anything to lose. Everyone already knew about his relatives' treatment of him, so he might as well ensure that he never had to see them again. After thinking about it for a few minutes, Harry looked back at the Headmaster. His eyes contained a determined glint as he spoke. "Alright. I'll do it."

Dumbledore smiled in response, and Snape even seemed to relax slightly. Apparently his professor had expected some type of fight or argument over the topic.

"Thank you, Harry," Dumbledore said. "I will give you a few days to settle in at Grimmauld Place and spend some time with your friends before we head to the Ministry." Straightening up a bit, he continued talking, "Now, if you would please excuse us, Harry, Severus and I have a few things that we need to discuss. I have a sitting room through that door over there, and I would appreciate it if you wait for us in there. If you are hungry, I can have a house elf bring you something to eat."

Harry wanted to stay and listen to their conversation, but Harry knew that it would be useless to argue. He was sure that they would be talking about Voldemort and other Order business. Even though he had faced Voldemort several times already, he was still considered a child in everyone's eyes. Excusing himself, Harry walked over to the door that was set in a wall near the Headmaster's desk.

Closing the door behind him, he stood quietly in the middle of the room for a few seconds. Once he was sure that they had started to talk, Harry tiptoed to the door and put his ear against the crack. Straining his ears, Harry tried to hear what was going on in the other room; however, after not hearing anything for a minute, Harry straightened up frustrated. Apparently, they hadn't trusted Harry not to listen in on their conversation, so they had constructed some kind of Privacy Charm.

Sitting down on the couch with a huff, Harry ran a hand through his hair. Surely there was some way that he could find out what was going on. Spotting his trunk against the far wall, Harry smirked. He walked over to the trunk and began burrowing through his possessions. Once he reached the bottom, he triumphantly pulled out one of Fred and George's inventions: the Extendable Ears. Hopefully Dumbledore's spell wasn't enough to keep out the Extendable Ears. After all, neither Snape nor Dumbledore would expect him to have something like this with him.

Holding his breath, Harry placed one end in his ear while sticking the other end under the door. Immediately, he was able to hear two voices. Grinning in satisfaction, Harry concentrated on the conversation.

"How did Voldemort find out that you were a spy?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Apparently a few Death Eaters saw me looking for Potter along with a few other Order members. I was ambushed not long afterwards. Did anyone besides the Order and the Death Eaters know that Potter was missing?"

"No," Dumbledore responded. "When the article came out, I had several Ministry officials and reporters swarming Hogwarts trying to find Harry and talk to him. They knew that he was no longer with his relatives, so they came to me. I managed to deflect their questions and said that Harry was in hiding; I just didn't mention where. The Ministry won't be put off for much longer, however."

"Albus, while I was captured, I learned some more about the necklace that Voldemort is trying to find. If you recall, I mentioned the necklace a few weeks ago when I first discovered that he was searching for it. Two of the Death Eaters who were watching over my cell thought that I was unconscious whenever they began to talk about the jewelry."

Intrigued, Harry began to listen more intently. This information was interesting, and he knew that he could discuss anything that he learned with Ron and Hermione whenever he saw them. They would be able to help him do some research in order to find out more about the necklace.

"The necklace has a small green snake on the end of the chain. This necklace is supposed to be very powerful; however, I do not know what type of power it contains. The jewelry might be connected to Salazar Slytherin in some way. The Death Eaters did say that it was rather old."

A furrow appeared in Harry's brow. The necklace's description sounded very familiar to him, but he just couldn't place it. Filing the information away for later inspection, Harry focused his attention back to the conversation.

"Did you learn anything else about the necklace?" Dumbledore asked. "Places that Voldemort has already looked? Places where the necklace may have been before?"

"No. From the way that they were talking, it didn't sound like he was any closer to finding it."

"That is good news."

There was a slight lull in conversation before Snape spoke. "While Potter and I were secluded in my house, he had a vision. Is it true that the Dark Lord freed his prisoners from Azkaban and pillaged a town?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Tonks and Kingsley have been working overtime with the Aurors in trying to recover the prisoners. The attack on the town has forced witches and wizards everywhere to see the reality of this war. Before, people may have believed that Voldemort was back; however, this showed them how serious the situation really is."

Grimly, Harry digested the information that his vision had been real. He knew that Voldemort was capable of sending him false visions, but apparently this one had not been fake.

"Well, Albus, I think that we had better finish up our business at Hogwarts soon. Potter's friends will be coming here if we do not."

Yanking the Extendable Ears out, Harry scrambled to his feet. He didn't want to be caught eavesdropping on their conversation, especially since one of them had taken measures to dissuade it from happening. Stuffing Fred and George's invention into his trunk, Harry quickly shut the lid and sat down on the couch. No sooner had Harry adopted a bored look on his face than the door opened. Dumbledore stood in the doorway and beckoned Harry into his office.

"There is just one more thing to do before we go to Grimmauld Place. Poppy will want to have a look at the two of you."

Harry wrinkled his nose in disgust but said nothing. He knew that he was going to have a checkup whether or not he needed it. It didn't matter that he wasn't injured or sick. He had gotten cut while attempting to rescue Snape, but the cut was pretty much healed by now.

Upon entering the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey left her office. She briefly stopped walking whenever she saw her visitors, but her shock quickly wore off.

"Potter, sit down on that bed. Who knows what kind of injuries you received during your absence? I swear, Potter, you attract more trouble than any other person I know."

Rolling his eyes, Harry indulged Madam Pomfrey and sat down. She muttered spells and waved her wand over Harry from head to toe. With a slight frown, Pomfrey ceased after a moment.

"It appears that you are healthy."

Pushing himself off of the bed, Harry replied, "I could have told you that."

"Yes, well, I have learned not to believe you when it comes to your health. You would say that you were fine even if your arm was falling off."

Catching sight of her next patient, Madame Pomfrey bustled the other man over. Snape was scowling in displeasure, but Harry knew that both Pomfrey and Dumbledore would insist that the Potions Master be checked out as well. Not wanting to watch while the healer fussed over Snape, Harry wandered bored around the Hospital Wing. There wasn't much to see, so before long he found himself lounging on a chair in a corner reading.

Twenty minutes later, approaching footsteps caused Harry to look up. Dumbledore stood in front of him.

"Now that Poppy has given you both a clean bill of health, we can Floo over to Grimmauld Place. I'm sure that everyone will be thrilled to finally see you."

Slightly anxious, Harry followed Snape and Dumbledore through the hallways. He was happy that he would be able to see his friends, but he didn't want to be the center of attention once he arrived at Headquarters.

As the three males re-entered Dumbledore's office, the Headmaster took a canister down from the fireplace mantle. "I will go through the Floo first. Everyone will be anxious to see you, so I will try to calm them down before you come through. Wait five minutes before following me."

Once Dumbledore left, Harry awkwardly turned towards Snape. "Now that you can't spy for the Order anymore, what will you do?"

The professor stiffly stood opposite Harry. "I will still be working with the Order in trying to stop the Dark Lord; however, I will obviously need to be more cautious. After all, the Dark Lord is not a forgiving person. He does not take betrayal lightly."

Wincing slightly, Harry didn't really know how to reply to that. Snape wasn't one to accept words of sympathy from anyone. Deciding to remain silent, Harry allowed his gaze to wander around the room.

Surprisingly, Snape broke the silence. "What will you tell your friends about everything that has happened so far this summer?"

Looking at his professor, Harry answered truthfully, "I don't keep a lot of things from my friends. Whenever I had to write lines for Umbridge, I kept it from Ron and Hermione for a while, but they eventually find out. They have stuck with me through a lot of things. I guess that I'll tell them pretty much everything."

Curious, Snape asked, "What changed your mind about talking to the Ministry?"

"Well," Harry said, "I guess I'll just be glad when everything is over with. Keeping quiet about something like this is a pretty big burden. Always wondering when someone will find out. Now, I can hopefully move on with my life."

A few more minutes passed before the Potions Master spoke. "I believe that sufficient time has gone by for Albus to have taken care of business. You will go through the Floo first, and then I shall follow you."

Nodding in understanding, Harry grabbed some Floo powder with one hand and clutched one of his trunk handles with the other. Throwing the powder down and shouting out his destination, he felt himself moving rapidly. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he was swarmed with people hugging him, crying, and talking all at once. Harry tried to discern individual people and voices, but the room was chaotic for several minutes.

"Everyone move away and give Harry some room," a loud voice carried through the din as Mrs. Weasley made her way towards Harry. Upon reaching him, she enveloped his body in a tight hug before steering him through the crowd and towards the table. "You poor dear. Don't you ever run away and scare us like that again. We were worried sick about you."

Harry allowed Mrs. Weasley to plop him down on a bench and place a full plate in front of him. Face turning a slight red, Harry gave a bashful grin while hearing Mrs. Weasley's scolding. It was good to be back, Harry thought.

When people began to settle around the table, Mrs. Weasley gave them a strict glare. "Now, allow Harry to eat his supper in peace. If he wants to, he may answer your questions tomorrow."

Grateful for the reprieve, Harry started to eat. Ron and Hermione settled protectively around him, with one on his left and the other on his right. Despite the reluctant looks on everyone's faces, they allowed Harry off the hook for the time being.

Swallowing a bite of food, Harry turned to his friends. "So, what have you guys been up to?"

Hermione gave Harry a sad look, but she answered his question. "We have been staying here for a while now. When you were gone, we helped look for you; however, we weren't as involved as we would have liked."

Not wanting his friends to dwell on it, Harry quickly changed the topic. "Fred, George, how is the joke shop going?"

"Business has been great," Fred said while winking at Harry. "You will have to stop by the shop some day. After all, our investor deserves some special gifts free of charge."

"You don't have to do that," Harry argued. "I don't mind paying…"

"Why, Harry, we're insulted," George replied. "Without your generous contribution, we would never have achieved the greatness that we have today."

"Greatness, huh?" Ron sarcastically said.

Ignoring his brother, George continued talking. "One day in the future when people ask us how our business became a multi-national success, we can say that it was thanks to our ingeniousness, love for great pranks, good looks…"

Eye rolling and laughter accompanied the speech. Fred took up where George left off. "And of course we won't forget to add that some scrawny kid with wild, black hair…"

"Alright, alright," Harry said with a smile on his face as he raised his hands in mock surrender. "I give up."

"We knew that you would see things our way," George smugly answered.

Darting a quick look at Mrs. Weasley, Harry asked, "Does your mum know that I was the one who gave you the money?"

"It may have slipped out," Fred said.

"I bet she wasn't too happy."

Smiling in amusement, Ginny said, "Harry, I don't think that mum could ever be really angry with you. She has a soft spot for you."

Spending time with his friends, Harry allowed himself to relax. He was able to forget all of the bad things that had happened to him so far in the summer as he laughed and joked with everyone.

Once the meal was over, Mrs. Weasley shooed the children away. "It's time for bed. Harry, you will be rooming with Ron again. Your belongings have already been placed in the room for you. Have a good night, Harry."

"Good night, Mrs. Weasley."

Mrs. Weasley gave Harry another quick hug before gently steering him towards the stairs. Harry climbed the steps and walked into the bedroom. Ron had already changed into his pajamas and was sitting on the bed waiting for Harry.

"I know that you may not be ready to talk about it yet, but Hermione and I want you to know that we will listen to you whenever you are ready," Ron sincerely said.

"I know," Harry quietly responded.

After brushing his teeth and putting on his pajamas, Harry tiredly lay down. The day's events flittered through his mind. He wanted to go to sleep, but one thought latched onto him and wouldn't let go. He kept hearing the conversation that he had overheard between Dumbledore and Snape. It seemed like there was something he should be remembering about the necklace that Voldemort was searching for.

Knowing that it would be hard to sleep with this plaguing him, Harry concentrated on the details of the necklace that Snape had described. It was old, possibly related to Salazar Slytherin, and it had a small green snake on it. His mind kept returning to the image of the snake.

Frustrated, Harry turned onto his side. His gaze was drawn to the book that he had placed on the nightstand. The book was his mother's diary…

Abruptly sitting up, Harry gave a small gasp of surprise. When he had read his mother's diary, there had been mention of a necklace that his mother had owned. It had apparently been in her family for a while, and she had gained it following the death of her mother. The necklace had a small green snake on the end of it.

Even though a part of his mind believed that it could just be a coincidence, another part of him thought that the necklaces could be the same one. Excited at the possibilities, Harry wanted to wake up Ron and Hermione and share this with them; however, he forced himself to lie back down. There would be time tomorrow to tell them everything that had gone on. They would certainly be eager and able to help him investigate his theory in order to determine whether it had any merit.

Closing his eyes, a small smile crept on his face as he fell asleep.


	21. Chapter 21

Last chapter:

_After brushing his teeth and putting on his pajamas, Harry tiredly lay down. The day's events flittered through his mind. He wanted to go to sleep, but one thought latched onto him and wouldn't let go. He kept hearing the conversation that he had overheard between Dumbledore and Snape. It seemed like there was something he should be remembering about the necklace that Voldemort was searching for._

_Knowing that it would be hard to sleep with this plaguing him, Harry concentrated on the details of the necklace that Snape had described. It was old, possibly related to Salazar Slytherin, and it had a small green snake on it. His mind kept returning to the image of the snake._

_Frustrated, Harry turned onto his side. His gaze was drawn to the book that he had placed on the nightstand. The book was his mother's diary…_

_Abruptly sitting up, Harry gave a small gasp of surprise. When he had read his mother's diary, there had been mention of a necklace that his mother had owned. It had apparently been in her family for a while, and she had gained it following the death of her mother. The necklace had a small green snake on the end of it._

_Even though a part of his mind believed that it could just be a coincidence, another part of him thought that the necklaces could be the same one. Excited at the possibilities, Harry wanted to wake up Ron and Hermione and share this with them; however, he forced himself to lie back down. There would be time tomorrow to tell them everything that had gone on. They would certainly be eager and able to help him investigate his theory in order to determine whether it had any merit._

_Closing his eyes, a small smile crept on his face as he fell asleep._

xXxXxXx

Two voices attempting to hold a whispered conversation woke Harry the next morning. As he slowly became aware of his surroundings, he kept his eyes closed and listened to his two best friends bicker.

"Remember what we talked about, Ron," Hermione lectured. "When Harry wakes up, we are not going to badger him to talk about what has happened these last few weeks. We will give him as much space as he needs."

"I know, Hermione," Ron angrily replied. "You all ready told me this a thousand times, not to mention the fact that my mum has also drilled it into our heads to leave Harry alone. And, for your information, I told Harry just last night that you and I would be ready to listen to him whenever he felt ready to talk."

Harry was touched that his friends were willing to respect his privacy. He knew that they probably were dying to know what had been going on; however, they were all ready aware that some things would be difficult for him to talk about. A smile came across his face as he continued to listen to Ron and Hermione's hushed conversation. He had really missed his friends since school ended, and he was glad that the trio was back together again.

The angry voices abruptly silenced, and a slightly accusing voice spoke up. "Harry! You're awake aren't you?"

Not even attempting to hide it any more, Harry opened his eyes and sat up. "How did you know?"

Ron and Hermione were all ready dressed, and they were sitting cross-legged on Ron's bed.

"It wasn't too difficult to tell," Hermione's exasperated voice answered, "when you are over there grinning at nothing. Besides, I'm sure that Ronald's loud voice was what woke you up."

"Hey!" Ron interjected.

Wanting to diffuse the situation before it got even uglier, Harry asked. "What time is it?"

Hermione glanced down at her watch. "It is almost 8:30. Mrs. Weasley is cooking breakfast, and it should be ready pretty soon."

"We didn't mean to wake you up, Harry. _Someone_," Ron stressed, "wouldn't keep her mouth shut even though I told her…"

Slightly raising his voice, Harry interrupted. "It's okay, guys. I needed to wake up anyway. Hermione, why don't you leave the room for a little while so that I can get dressed? When I am done, we can go down and eat breakfast."

"Sure, Harry," Hermione said. She smiled before walking over to Harry and bending down to give him a quick hug. When she pulled back, her eyes had a moist look. "We're just glad that you are okay. We were worried about you."

"Yeah, mate," Ron added as he too walked over and clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Thanks. You guys mean a lot to me," Harry said.

With a sniff, Hermione gave both Harry and Ron a fond look before walking out of the room. Ron sat back down on his bed and watched as Harry started to root through his trunk and pull out some clothes to wear.

"You aren't going to believe it," Ron said, "but Snape is going to be staying here with us. I nearly had a heart attack this morning when I walked downstairs and saw him sitting at the kitchen table. Apparently, because he is now known as a traitor by You-Know-Who, Dumbledore thought that headquarters would be the safest place for him."

Harry paused briefly as he listened to Ron. He could tell that Ron was far from thrilled at the idea of Snape staying in the same vicinity as them. As Harry slowly gathered his things into his arms and walked into the bathroom, he turned over his thoughts in his head.

He and Snape had been getting along much better over the past three weeks; however, two days ago he had found out that Snape was the one who had gone to Child Protective Services and told them about the Dursleys abusing him. Snape's action had led to the Daily Prophet finding out and printing his dirty little secret to the world. Harry understood why Snape had done it, but it still felt like a betrayal since Harry had repeatedly told both Snape and Dumbledore that he didn't want to go to the Ministry. Now, he and Snape would be staying in the same house together, maybe even for the rest of the summer, and things were probably going to be awkward for a while. Harry had liked having an adult around to listen to him and hoped that they could make things better between them soon, but he knew that it would take time.

A loud bang sounded on the door.

"Breakfast is ready, Harry. Hurry up!"

"I'm coming, Ron," Harry yelled back. Given his hands a quick wash, Harry grabbed his wrinkled pajamas from the floor and opened the door. Ron was leaning against the wall, but he hurriedly stood up when Harry exited.

"Finally. I thought I might starve to death while waiting."

Rolling his eyes at his friend's theatrics, Harry walked back into the bedroom for a brief moment and put his pajamas on top of his trunk.

"I doubt that you would starve. You eat enough for three people."

"I am offended, Harry," Ron said, a fake wounded look on his face. "It isn't my fault that I am a growing boy. I need to keep up my strength."

"You do that, Ron," Harry answered while the two of them began to make their way down the stairs.

When they entered the kitchen, Harry's eyes immediately spotted Snape sitting at the table reading the Daily Prophet. He quickly averted his eyes, however, when he saw the man start to put the paper down.

Mrs. Weasley spotted Harry the moment he came into the room, and she put down the bowl that she was carrying and immediately came over to his side. She pulled Harry into a strong hug and patted his back twice before pulling him back to arm's length.

"You are looking a little peaky, dear. We can't have that. Just come on over to the table, and I will take good care of you."

Mrs. Weasley kept one hand on Harry's arm as she propelled him across the room. Walking over to the table, Harry found himself sitting at the only available spot: directly across from his professor. As he sat down, he couldn't help but catch the man's eye. Snape was studying him closely, and Harry found himself feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter," Snape said.

"Morning," Harry mumbled. He picked up his silverware and twirled it around with his fingers just to give himself something to do and to concentrate on. He didn't really know what to say to the man, and he hoped that Snape wouldn't attempt to begin an in-depth conversation in the middle of the crowded kitchen. Harry was a little uncomfortable at the way that the other occupants of the room were unsuccessfully trying to be discreet in watching what was going on.

He looked up, though, when Mrs. Weasley plopped down a plate piled high with food in front of him. Turning slightly in his seat, he looked up into the woman's face.

"Now, I don't know where exactly you have been these last few weeks, but I doubt that you have been properly taken care of. I want you to be sure and eat everything on that plate, young man."

Not wanting to antagonize Mrs. Weasley, Harry gave a nod and said, "Yes, ma'am."

When he turned back around in his seat to start eating, he accidentally looked across the table. Snape was smirking at him. Apparently the man found some amusement in watching him automatically obey Mrs. Weasley. The woman could be intimidating when she wanted to be.

Ignoring his professor, Harry looked at the rest of the table. Fred and George had all ready left the house to go and work in their joke shop. Ron and Hermione were sitting on either side of him, and Ginny was sitting at the end of the table. Mr. Weasley had apparently all ready left for his job at the Ministry.

As Harry began to eat breakfast, he found himself laughing at the stories that his friends were sharing. He knew that Ron and Hermione were trying to cheer him up and to keep his mind off of things, and he was glad that they were succeeding; however, breakfast quickly ended and he motioned for Ron and Hermione to follow him out of the kitchen. Harry saw the two of them exchange looks, but he didn't pay any attention to it as he led them into the library. Shutting the door behind them, Harry pulled out his wand and cast a Privacy Charm on the room.

"Harry," Hermione said disapprovingly. "You know that we aren't allowed to use magic during the summer."

"I know, Hermione, but I don't really care. This isn't the first time that I have done magic during the last few weeks. Besides, we have more important things to talk about."

Both Ron and Hermione sat down and put their full attention on Harry when they heard the seriousness in his tone. Harry settled himself down in a chair across from them and leaned back.

"I want to tell you guys about these last few weeks," Harry said.

"Harry," Hermione interrupted. "You don't have to say anything right now if you don't want to. Ron and I would understand."

"Yeah, mate," Ron added. "You just got here yesterday."

"It's all right. I've had a lot of time to think about things, and I have a lot to tell you. The only thing that I ask is that you please don't say anything until I am done. I know that you will probably have a lot of questions, but it will just make things easier this way."

With that, Harry began to explain everything. He started with his uncle's increasing abuse that Snape had eventually rescued him from. He talked about not wanting to go to the Ministry to tell them about the Dursleys, and then being so furious about the newspaper article that he had run away to Godric's Hollow. Next he told them about hearing the two Death Eaters in Diagon Alley talking about Snape's betrayal and how Harry had wound up rescuing the professor. He ended his story by describing his time at Snape's house and how the two of them had finally arrived at Grimmauld's Place.

By the time that he had finished talking, his voice was a little hoarse and he noticed that he had been talking for about forty-five minutes. Ron and Hermione sat stunned on the sofa across from him, and Harry quietly waited for the questions to begin.

"Harry," Hermione said with a sad look on her face, "why didn't you say anything to us? You wrote to us a few times before leaving the Dursleys' house, but you never even gave a hint that anything was wrong."

"Fred, George, and I came to rescue you during the summer before our second year because we were worried about you. We would have been there in a second to get you again if we had known…" Ron replied.

"I know you would have," Harry sincerely responded. "I don't doubt that. I just… I was having a hard time with everything. I didn't want anyone to know what was going on."

Ron and Hermione realized that Harry didn't really want to talk about that any more, so they gladly changed the subject.

"I think what shocked me the most about your story is the role that Snape played. I can't believe that you rescued him and then spent several days with him at his house," Ron said with a shudder. "I bet that was horrible."

"Not really. We actually got along really well. It's just that things are complicated right now since I found out that he was the one who went to the Ministry."

Ron looked like he was going to spew as many horrible names at Snape as he could, but Hermione spoke before he could.

"I know that it probably hurts that he betrayed your trust, Harry, but he only wanted to do what was best for you. Now you can have a guardian who cares about you."

As always, Hermione was the voice of reason.

"I know, Hermione. He was reluctant to tell me about it, and he was worried about me when I disappeared for several hours after he told me. Snape even sort of comforted me after I had a vision about Voldemort freeing his followers from Azkaban and attacking a village."

Ron's eyes were slightly wide. "Those are two words that I didn't think that I would hear together in a sentence: Snape and comforted."

Harry grinned and tucked his legs underneath him. "I know. Me too."

Settling himself more comfortably into the chair, Harry realized that there was one thing that he hadn't yet shared with his friends.

"There's something else," Harry said. "When I went to my parent's house, I discovered a secret compartment in an office desk. It had my mother's diary in it. I read a little bit of it every day, and I think that it had something very important in it."

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Yesterday before we came here, Snape and I were at Hogwarts. Dumbledore wanted to talk with Snape alone for a few minutes, so he had me go into the next room. He must have put a Privacy Charm on the room…"

"Of course that didn't stop you," Ron interjected, a teasing look on his face.

"Of course not," Harry answered. "I had one of Fred and George's Extendable Ears in my bag, so I listened to them talking. Apparently Snape was able to hear a few things while he was captured by Voldemort. It seems like Voldemort, for some reason, is looking for this necklace. Snape heard that the necklace has a small green snake on it, is very powerful, and may even be related to Salazar Slytherin."

Cautiously, Hermione asked. "What does this have to do with your mother's diary?"

Untucking his legs and leaning forward, Harry excitedly said. "I think that my mother owned that necklace. When I read the diary, she mentioned that she had inherited a necklace from my grandmother after she died. She described the necklace as having a small emerald snake on the end. She even said that the necklace was old and had been passed down through her family for many years."

"It could just be a coincidence, Harry," Hermione replied with a little bit of skepticism in her voice.

As soon as Hermione had started speaking, Harry began to shake his head. "I don't think that it is. We need to do some research on this necklace and find out why Voldemort wants the necklace. Once we figure that out, then we can concentrate on trying to find it. When I visited my parent's house, all of their personal belongings had been removed. I will ask someone later if they know where my parent's stuff is, but I bet that it is being kept in a vault at Gringotts."

"Do you plan on telling anyone about your suspicions, Harry? Should we tell Dumbledore or Snape?" Ron questioned.

Harry kept silent for a few moments while he thought.

"Not just yet. Dumbledore obviously wasn't going to share with me about the necklace in the first place, so we will just wait until we know more about it. I promise that we won't go off looking for the necklace on our own, though. We will get help from an adult later."

Hermione looked pleased that Harry was willing to eventually ask for help rather than recklessly do everything by himself.

"I bet that there are some books on Salazar Slytherin in this library," Hermione said as she looked around. Even though she had been somewhat skeptical that the two necklaces were one in the same, she seemed really excited to be doing some research. "Sirius said that the Black family has been in Slytherin for many generations. They may have a book somewhere in here that mentions this necklace. We will be glad to help you look, Harry."

Ron groaned good-naturedly at the prospect of research, but he too agreed that he would help look.

Harry relaxed into his chair. It seemed like things were finally going to come together.

xXxXxXx

"You wished to see me, Albus?" Snape asked as he entered the Headmaster's office and sat down in the chair. He had spent the morning at Grimmauld Place in his room working, but he had been informed by Mrs. Weasley that Albus wanted him to come to Hogwarts immediately. "Is anything wrong?"

"No, Severus. Nothing is wrong. In fact," Dumbledore responded with a slight twinkle in his eye, "I think that things may turn out really well."

Snape groaned internally. When the Headmaster was acting like this, it was usually best for him not to be around.

Using a calm voice, he replied, "Oh?"

Not wasting a moment, Dumbledore went straight to the point. "Yes, as you know, Harry has been having a difficult time lately, and he is in need of a guardian. I think that you should be the one."

This was something that Snape had not been expecting. He sat speechless for several long minutes before sitting back and trying to absorb what he had been told.

The only thing that he was able to say was "What?"

"From what I have seen and heard about you and Harry, I think that the two of you would be good for each other." Raising his hand, Dumbledore continued to speak. "I don't want you to say anything just yet. Take some time to think it over."

Finally regaining his voice, Snape spoke. "Even if I did agree to do this, I doubt that Potter would agree to it."

"You never know, Severus. I know that you and he have had a difficult past; however, I have seen the changes between the two of you."

"It isn't just because of our past," Snape admitted. "I was the one who told Child Protective Services about the Dursleys, and some how the Prophet find out because of that. Two days ago, I told Potter about it, and he did not take it very well."

"I have faith in both you and Harry," Dumbledore simply responded.

xXxXxXx

A/N: Whew. I know that it has been a long time, but I finally got around to writing this chapter. I had to re-read the story just to remember everything that had all ready happened. I hope you like this chapter. I have another Harry and Snape story that I am working on called When Memories Fade. If you haven't read it and don't have anything else to do, go ahead and check it out.


	22. Chapter 22

Last chapter:

_Not wasting a moment, Dumbledore went straight to the point. "Yes, as you know, Harry has been having a difficult time lately, and he is in need of a guardian. I think that you should be the one."_

_This was something that Snape had not been expecting. He sat speechless for several long minutes before sitting back and trying to absorb what he had been told._

_The only thing that he was able to say was "What?"_

"_From what I have seen and heard about you and Harry, I think that the two of you would be good for each other." Raising his hand, Dumbledore continued to speak. "I don't want you to say anything just yet. Take some time to think it over." _

_Finally regaining his voice, Snape spoke. "Even if I did agree to do this, I doubt that Potter would agree to it."_

"_You never know, Severus. I know that you and he have had a difficult past; however, I have seen the changes between the two of you."_

"_It isn't just because of our past," Snape admitted. "I was the one who told Child Protective Services about the Dursleys, and some how the __Prophet__ find out because of that. Two days ago, I told Potter about it, and he did not take it very well."_

"_I have faith in both you and Harry," Dumbledore simply responded. _

xXxXxXxXx

It had been three days since Harry had told Ron and Hermione about the last few weeks. Four days since he and Snape had first arrived at the house. During that time, Harry tried to avoid his professor as much as possible. And even if he couldn't avoid him, Harry at least tried to make sure that there was someone else in the room with them at the same time. Despite his precautions, it seemed like the man was avoiding him as well. The professor hadn't tried to talk to him alone, and Snape usually kept to his own room or to the basement which had been converted to a lab.

The reason that Harry was avoiding the man was partly because of learning about Snape going to the Ministry and partly because, now that they were around other people and not sequestered away in Snape's house, Harry didn't know how to act around him. Harry didn't know if Snape was avoiding him for the same reasons, but he tried not to think about it too much. Sometimes he would glance up while at the breakfast table or while walking in the halls, and he would catch Snape just staring contemplatively at him. When Snape would realize that Harry was looking, however, the professor would just scowl and pointedly look away or he would turn around and stalk off. It was all very bizarre, but Harry had other things occupying his mind right now.

Currently, he, Ron, and Hermione were sitting around a table in the library at Grimmauld Place. The surface of the table was crowded with books haphazardly stacked upon each other. As soon as she had heard about Harry's theory on the necklace, Hermione had been excited to do research on it. She had picked one section of the library to begin with, and then she had grabbed as many books as she could find that she believed might have any mention of Salazar Slytherin in them. The books on the table were only from the second section of bookshelves on the wall. They had finished going through the first section of books this morning. The library was big, and they still had several more sections to search.

Ron forcefully closed the book that he had been reading and carelessly pushed it to the side.

"Ron," Hermione scolded as she quickly reached out and steadied the stack of books which Ron had accidentally bumped.

"This is going to take forever," Ron grumbled. He waved his arm around. "Look at all of these books that we still have to go through. We haven't even made a dent in them."

Harry rubbed his eyes as he placed a bookmark inside the tome he had been reading. It was after lunch, and they had been researching since breakfast ended. They had started looking through the books the day that Harry had told them about the necklace, and they continued to research every day since then.

Several people in the house had given them questioning looks for spending so much time in the library. Whenever someone had asked them about it, they had tried to brush off the inquiry by saying that they were doing their summer homework. In order to make their story more believable, they had come up with a system. If they heard someone walking in the hallway or if they heard someone opening the library door, Hermione would immediately begin to lecture the two of them on different things like the proper wand movements for a charm or the various properties of a potion ingredient. As soon as the person left the hallway or the library, they would go right back to their research.

Hermione had opened her mouth to retort to Ron's complaint, but Harry quickly intervened.

"Why don't we all take break?"

"Fine," Ron said. "I'll be back in thirty minutes."

Ron got up and left without another word. Hermione lingered in the room, but Harry knew that she needed to take a break too. They were all going to get frustrated before long if they continued not to have any luck in searching through the books.

"Go on, Hermione. You wanted to send a letter to your parents earlier. You can go do that now."

"All right, Harry," she replied. "But I don't want you to do anything else until we get back. If Ron and I are going to stop for a few minutes, then you have to as well."

Harry nodded. When Hermione left the room, Harry stood up and stretched. He groaned as he worked the kinks out of his body.

Finally stepping away from the table, Harry went over to the sofa and plopped down. He pulled his legs up onto the cushions and leaned back against the armrest. A sigh escaped his lips as he closed his eyes and began to relax.

xXxXxXxXx

Snape sat at the desk in his room reading over some parchment. The Headmaster had sent him some reports on Voldemort's current activities and his possible whereabouts. It felt strange to be getting this information from a source other than himself. He used to be the one to gather the information and then share it with the Order. Now, he was reduced to finding everything out secondhand.

Rolling the parchment up, he meticulously placed them into a desk drawer. After the desktop was clear, he stood and walked over to the window.

On the bottom of one of the letters, the Headmaster had written 'Think about what I said.' Even though there had not been anything else written concerning that one sentence, Snape knew exactly what Dumbledore was referring to. Three days ago the man had asked him to consider taking guardianship of Harry.

He had thought about it. That was why he had continued to avoid the boy over the last few days. Snape didn't know what he was going to do, and he couldn't stop himself from staring at Harry whenever they were around each other. He knew that it was making Harry uncomfortable; however, he couldn't stop himself sometimes. He needed to make a decision soon. Taking guardianship of the boy would be a big step, and he wasn't sure if either of them were ready or willing to take that step.

In fact, he was very much aware that Harry had been avoiding him also. They hadn't said a lot to each other besides 'Hello' and 'Good morning' since they had arrived at the house. Before he could make his final decision regarding the guardianship, he would need to actually find the boy, sit down with him, and talk it out. Harry had no clue what was going on, and he would need to be aware of the situation and to provide some input.

Deciding to take a break from working, Snape left his bedroom. He had been wanting to go into the library and find a potions book, but Potter and his two friends had been holed up in there for a few days now. Several minutes ago, he had heard the door to the library open and people walking down the hall. It sounded like they were not going to be in the library for a little while.

When he first walked through the library door, he saw the books stacked on the table. Curious as to what Potter was reading – he knew that they weren't working on homework – he looked at a few of the titles.

"Professor?"

The voice slightly startled him, and he turned towards it. Potter was resting on the couch tiredly sitting up.

"I did not realize that you were in here," Snape explained.

"That's okay," Harry awkwardly replied. "Did you need something?"

"I was just going to find a potions book," the professor answered. He looked carefully at Harry when he continued speaking. "What were the three of you working on?"

"It's…History of Magic," Harry said with a small pause. "We have an essay to do."

Flicking at glance at the table, Snape responded, "There are a lot of books here just for one essay."

Harry didn't really know what to say to that. After thinking for a second, he just said, "Hermione picked them out."

Snape could easily tell that Harry was being untruthful about the research that they were doing, but he decided not to push it.

Steeling himself to tell the boy about Dumbledore's suggestion for guardianship, Snape took a few steps towards the couch. Harry had been looking all over the room, but he turned his gaze to Snape when he saw the man moving intently towards him. Just as Snape was about to speak, the library door opened.

"Harry, we're bac…" Hermione trailed off when she entered the room and noticed who else was there. "Oh, Professor. I didn't expect to see you here."

Snape straightened. After one last glance at Harry, he said, "I was just leaving."

Hermione and Ron stepped to the side so that Snape could leave. Firmly closing the door behind him, he took a few steps down the hall before pausing. Drawing out his wand, he quietly cast a spell on the library door which would allow him to hear what was being said in the room.

"What did he want, Harry?" Hermione asked. "I've noticed that you two have been avoiding each other."

"I was lying on the couch when he walked in. He didn't realize that I was in there until I said something. He told me that he had come in to get a book, but when you guys came back, he left without getting it. He looked like he wanted to say something to me, but I don't know what," answered Harry.

A second later, Harry spoke again. "He asked what we were doing in here, but I don't think that he believed me when I told him that we were doing research for a History of Magic essay. I was a little bit rattled when he came in, so I don't think that I was able to lie very well."

Snape continued to listen intently. He wondered if he would be able to hear what was really going in.

"Harry, if you don't want to keep lying to everyone, we can tell them what we are doing. You were the one who wanted to keep it quiet," Hermione reasoned.

"Yeah, mate," Ron agreed. "We can tell the Order what we have been looking for, and we can tell them which books we have all ready read."

There was a sigh before Harry answered. "We will tell them. Soon. Just, not yet."

"You aren't alone anymore, Harry," Hermione eventually said. "I think that Snape genuinely wants to help you, even though you are both being really stubborn right now."

"Hey!"

"I know that you don't know what to say to him, but you should quit avoiding him."

Apparently Harry was going to retort because Hermione rushed on.

"And he should stop avoiding you. I mean, he went to the Ministry in order to help save you from the Dursleys. You went to a Death Eaters meeting in order to save him from being murdered. From what you told us, you and Professor Snape got along very well while you were staying at his house."

"I fight with my brothers and my parents all the time," Ron said. "But we eventually get over it. Things will get better, Harry."

Canceling the spell, Snape quietly walked away. He promised himself that he would talk to the boy soon. He just wanted to give Harry some space and time to think things over.

He would also have to keep an eye on those three. They were up to something that they did not want other people to know about. With the Gryffindor trio, you never knew what dangerous stunt they were going to pull next. He would be damned if he allowed Potter to pull another hair-brained scheme. That boy needed to learn to think before he acted.

xXxXxXxXx

At dinner that night, Harry was sitting at the table when Snape walked in. Harry was a little surprised when his professor sat in the chair across from him. Hermione and Ron's words rolled through his mind when he saw the man, and he tried to force the awkwardness to go away. He wanted to have an adult to depend on, and from the last few weeks, he could imagine Snape becoming that person.

"Good evening, Professor," Harry said.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter."

From the corner of his eye, he could see Hermione giving him an encouraging smile. Harry put some food on his plate and began to eat.

"You left the library before you could get your book earlier. Did you go back for it?" Harry questioned.

"Yes, I did. Thank you. How is your history essay going?" Snape couldn't help himself from asking.

"Fine," Harry shortly answered. He knew that that Professor was all ready suspicious, so he would try to say as little about the "school research" as possible.

"I never liked History of Magic either when I was in school. Professor Binns can be very dull and uninteresting. If you need any help or if you would like me to read over your essay, I have plenty of time to do so," Snape offered with a straight face.

"All right."

Harry was a little more relaxed by this easy conversation, even though the conversation was based on a lie. The way that they were talking made it seem like everything was fine and normal.

Wanting to help Harry out a little bit, Hermione spoke up. "Professor, I have been meaning to ask you something. I was reading some of the material for class this year, and I had a question over the text."

Harry gave a small smile as he listened to Hermione and Snape discussing potions. Hermione had all ready finished most of the summer homework during the last few weeks, so she really knew what she was talking about. If he wanted to keep up the charade of doing research in the library for his homework, then he would need to actually get some of it done. The last few weeks of summer had been extremely busy, and he had not had a lot of time to do it.

By the time that dinner was over, Harry was happily listening to the conversations around him. Even though they had not been successful in finding out anything in the library about the necklace, he still felt like something had been accomplished that day. He and Snape were at least on speaking terms now, and he was willing to try to keep that going. Their conversation in the library and at the beginning of dinner had been short and mundane, but it was a start.

After taking his plate to the sink, Harry followed Ron and Hermione into the sitting room. Hermione settled into a chair and quickly buried her nose in a school textbook. Harry and Ron took out an old chess set and began to set up the pieces. They had only been playing for a few minutes when Snape entered the room and sat down in the other available chair. Snape pulled out the potions book that he had been looking for earlier, and he wasted no time in opening it. Harry snuck a little peek at the man before focusing on the board again.

It only took a little while for Ron to soundly beat Harry - not that Harry had been expecting any differently.

"Want to try another game?" Ron asked.

"I don't know, Ron," Harry teased. "I don't think that I'm much competition for you."

"You started off the game strong," Snape said, "however, the important thing is focusing on the game as a whole rather than just looking at the next move. That comes with more practice."

Harry and Ron both looked over at their professor. Harry had not realized that Snape had been watching the game; he had thought that the man had been reading the whole time.

"Thanks for the advice," Harry finally replied.

Snape nodded and began to read again.

"So?" Ron asked. "Another game?"

"Sure," Harry agreed.

There was a comfortable silence in the room as Hermione and Snape continued to read while Harry and Ron quietly called out their chess moves. Harry was glad that the day had turned out as well as it had. It seemed like Snape was also willing to try to repair the relationship that they had been developing. He hoped that things would continue to improve over the next few days and weeks.

Now, if only they could find out the significance of that necklace.

xXxXxXxXx

A/N: Yay! I finished my finals yesterday, so hopefully I can find more time to write. I hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for continuing to read and review.


	23. Chapter 23

Last chapter:

_There was a comfortable silence in the room as Hermione and Snape continued to read while Harry and Ron quietly called out their chess moves. Harry was glad that the day had turned out as well as it had. It seemed like Snape was also willing to try to repair the relationship that they had been developing. He hoped that things would continue to improve over the next few days and weeks. _

_Now, if only they could find out the significance of that necklace._

xXxXxXx

A loud thunk echoed in the library as Hermione dropped another stack of books on the table.

"Okay," Hermione said a little breathlessly, "here are the last books from that section."

That was the fourth trip that she had made since morning. It had been a week since they had started researching the necklace, and they hadn't made any headway.

After dropping the books onto the table, Hermione began to sort the books into different piles.

"These books," Hermione indicated by touching the stack, "are the history books. These are the books on the Hogwarts founders. These are the books on dark magic. These…"

Ron interrupted.

"We get the picture, Hermione. You don't have to explain all of them to us. If we have any questions, we'll ask."

"Very well," Hermione huffed. "I'm just trying to make this easier on everyone."

"And you are doing a great job," Harry sincerely replied.

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said. "At least someone appreciates my work."

Ron closed the book that he had been reading before dropping it on the finished pile.

"Well, I may not know anything about a necklace belonging to Salazar Slytherin, but I could tell you pretty much anything else about the man. I know where he was born, who his parents were, where he went to school, and when he died. If we are having this much trouble finding any information on the necklace, then I don't see how You-Know-Who is even going to locate the thing. I mean, if the necklace really did exist, it's probably been missing for a thousand years."

"Yeah, but he has the Death Eaters to help him look," Harry answered. "And he also seems very determined to find it – for whatever reason."

"I hope we find something soon," Ron said as he paused to rub his eyes. "I think I might go blind from reading so much in such a short time."

Looking up from his book, Harry let out a small yawn. It was a few hours after lunch, and he felt like he needed another break.

"I think that I'm going to get out of here for a while. You guys can stop too, if you want."

"You go ahead, Harry," Hermione responded. "I think that Ron and I might continue looking."

"Okay," Harry said. He walked over to the library door and paused after opening the door.

"Do you want me to bring anything back? Something to eat or drink?"

"Sure, mate," Ron answered. "Whatever is left in the kitchen."

"We just had lunch not too long ago, Ron," Hermione exasperatedly said. "Surely you aren't still hungry."

Ron only shrugged in response. As Harry walked out of the room and shut the door behind him, Hermione grabbed another book and opened it up.

"I'm glad that Harry and Professor Snape are talking again," Hermione commented as she thumbed through the book. She had noticed that the two of them had been getting along a lot better for the past few days.

"It's still weird," Ron said as he leaned back in the chair.

"Don't you want Harry to be happy?" Hermione asked with a quick glance upwards.

"Of course I do," Ron indignantly replied, as if Hermione should not even be suggesting otherwise. "It's just…Snape?"

Stretching out his legs and crossing his ankles, Ron continued talking. "I'll support Harry whatever happens, but if that git so much as hurts Harry…"

"Then I'll be in line right behind you in order to get back at him," Hermione replied without even looking up from her reading.

All of a sudden, Hermione straightened up in her chair and bent in closer to the book. Her finger ran quickly across the page as she silently mouthed the words.

Seeing Hermione's intensity, Ron slowly uncrossed his legs and sat waiting. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but after a week of researching, it was hard to do.

Abruptly, Hermione looked up. A wide smile broke out on her face.

"I think I found it."

xXxXxXx

After leaving the library, Harry made his way down to the kitchen. When he entered the room, he saw that he was the only one around. Harry was glad that he hadn't run into anyone; he didn't really want to answer any more questions about his, Ron, and Hermione's time in the library.

Grabbing a few drinks from the fridge and a few snacks from the counter, Harry began to make his way back up the stairs. His hands and arms were really full, and he had to concentrate on not dropping anything.

Harry slowly walked up the stairs and kept his gaze focused down on the steps. He was startled when two pairs of shoes entered his field of vision. As he raised his head to see who was standing in front of him, one of the bottles slipped from his hand. Harry grimaced when the bottle smashed into pieces on the floor and the liquid started to run down the staircase.

"A little clumsy there, Harry?" George asked.

"You startled me," Harry answered. He set down everything that he had been carrying before starting to walk towards the bathroom. "Let me get a towel and I'll clean it up."

"Harry, Harry, Harry," Fred said while shaking his head.

Confused, Harry asked, "What?"

Without another word, Fred slipped the wand out of his pocket and cleaned up the mess.

"We need to get this boy to start thinking like a real wizard," Fred said to his brother.

"I agree," replied George.

"I'm not supposed to do magic during the summer," Harry defensively cut in, "so it isn't my fault that I don't automatically think about using magic."

Trying to turn the attention away from himself, Harry asked, "What are the two of you doing here? Why aren't you at the joke shop?"

"Well," Fred answered, "there was a little accident this morning at the shop. Not to worry, though. We got most of it cleaned up, but we will have to go back in a little bit to finish. We had to close the store for the day."

"What happened?" Harry questioned.

"We were working on one of our new inventions, but it backfired on us," George responded. He pulled up one us his sleeves to show a burn mark on his arm.

"Looks nasty," Harry sympathetically said. "Have you gone to St. Mungo's to get it looked at?"

"Nah," George easily brushed aside the inquiry as he casually pulled the sleeve back down. "Professor Snape had a cream for me to put on it. He said that it should heal up pretty soon."

"We should probably be heading back," Fred said while looking at his twin.

"You're right, Fred," George answered. Looking at Harry, he continued, "Be careful now. You wouldn't want to have any more accidents without us around to take care of everything."

"I'll try to be more careful," Harry sarcastically replied.

When Fred and George had left, Harry picked up the food and drinks from the floor. He tried to keep a firm grip on all of it as he walked down the hall.

Suddenly, a door opened on his right. Snape materialized in the doorway and stood watching him for a second.

"Hi, professor. I hope I didn't disturb you earlier when I dropped a bottle."

"No, you didn't."

"Okay," Harry said. "Well, I need to get back to the library. I was just getting some refreshments for Ron and Hermione. I'll see you at dinner."

Before he had a chance to walk away, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning a questioning gaze on his professor, Harry waited.

"I would like a word with you, Mr. Potter."

"Now?" Harry asked.

"Of course now. If I wanted to talk to you later, then I would have said so."

Without another word, Snape spun around and went back into his bedroom.

"Er…all right," Harry quietly said while following his professor.

Shifting his hold on the food and drinks, Harry looked around. He wondered what Snape wanted to say to him. The man had sounded serious when he ordered Harry into the room.

"You may set your things on the table," Snape abruptly spoke.

"Thanks."

Harry carefully set everything down and made sure that nothing would roll off the table. Stalling, he spent a few moments just arranging the refreshments. When he knew that he couldn't wait any longer, he stopped what he was doing and looked back at the professor.

"Sit," Snape ordered.

Not bothering to question the man or to hesitate, Harry quickly sat in the only available chair. Instead of transfiguring a chair for himself, Snape began to pace back and forth. Harry followed the professor with his eyes and quietly waited to see what was going on.

When Snape finally stopped his pacing minutes later, he stood in front of Harry and eyed the boy.

"I know that even though things have changed between us these last few days, you have still been slightly uncomfortable around me. I have explained my reasons for going to the Ministry, and I make no apologies for it. I think that I was right in what I did, and I do not regret it," Snape explained in a no-nonsense tone.

Harry didn't know what to say to Snape's comments. He hadn't expected this to be what the man wanted to talk about.

After taking a few seconds, Harry tried to voice his thoughts.

"I've thought about all of it since you told me – I've thought about it a lot – and I understand why you did it. I'm just glad that the Dursleys can't get to me again."

"They are still being held in custody by the Ministry," Snape responded. "There will be a trial soon."

"Yeah, I expected it. Dumbledore did say that I would have to testify."

A few moments of silence descended on the room before the professor stiffly spoke.

"There is something that I have been meaning to discuss with you."

Harry stayed quiet and just watched his professor. He could tell that the man was feeling slightly awkward, and Harry had no idea what would make the man act this way.

"The Dursleys are being held in custody, and you will no longer be living with them. Since you are still underage, you need to have a guardian."

Curious as to where this was going, Harry asked, "Has Professor Dumbledore figured out what is going to happen with me? Does he know who I am going to stay with? It would have to been someone that we could trust and that we knew was allied with the Light."

"Not exactly."

Harry was unsure what that meant. Either Dumbledore had found him a guardian or he hadn't.

"Well, it could be an Order member," Harry suggested. "I bet the Weasleys wouldn't mind. I have my parent's money, so they wouldn't have to really provide me with anything. If the Weasleys couldn't be my guardians, then we could ask Remus. Sirius offered to let me live with him a few years ago, so Remus probably would do it too. Although, the Ministry might not let him since he is a werewolf."

He was willing to offer more names, but Snape interrupted.

"Harry."

That got his attention. Snape sometimes called him by his first name, but the man usually still used his last name when addressing him.

"Yes, sir?" Harry cautiously asked.

"We have been through a lot together these past few weeks, and we have managed to get along all right."

Harry nodded in agreement and to show that he was listening.

"Since you are in need of a guardian, I am offering to take guardianship of you," Snape bluntly said.

It took a few moments for the words to sink in. Once he realized that he had actually heard Snape correctly, Harry found that he could only sit in his chair stunned. As the silence stretched on, he continued to stare at his professor speechless.

xXxXxXx

A/N: A little shorter than I normally write, but I thought this was a good place to stop. Hope you liked the chaper.


	24. Chapter 24

Last chapter:

"_Harry."_

_That got his attention. Snape sometimes called him by his first name, but the man usually still used his last name when addressing him._

"_Yes, sir?" Harry cautiously asked._

"_We have been through a lot together these past few weeks, and we have managed to get along all right."_

_Harry nodded in agreement and to show that he was listening._

"_Since you are in need of a guardian, I am offering to take guardianship of you," Snape bluntly said._

_It took a few moments for the words to sink in. Once he realized that he had actually heard Snape correctly, Harry found that he could only sit in his chair stunned. As the silence stretched on, he continued to stare at his professor speechless._

xXxXxXx

Snape patiently stood in front of the chair while Harry tried to process everything. Harry wasn't sure what to make of it all. He was glad that he and his professor had started talking again, but never in his wildest imagination had he believed that the man would offer him this.

Even though Harry opened and closed his mouth, no words came out. He didn't know what to say. All of this had just been sprung on him, and it was a little bit overwhelming.

"I…I just…"

Noticing Harry's slight discomfort, Snape held up his hand and instantly Harry fell silent.

"There is no need to give me an answer right at this moment. Take a few days to think about it."

Harry continued to stare wide-eyed at his professor as he breathlessly answered, "Okay."

When Harry made no move to get up, Snape's lip curled momentarily.

"You may leave now."

"Okay," Harry again repeated.

As he walked towards the door, he felt like he was in a dream. He wanted to reach over and pinch one of his arms just to see if it would hurt, but he didn't want to look stupid in front of his professor. Just as he reached the door and had his hand curled around the knob, a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Potter."

Harry slowly turned back around. What did the man want to tell him now? Surely he hadn't changed his mind about giving Harry time to think about everything.

A smirk was on Snape's face as he looked Harry in the eye.

"Forgetting something?" Snape asked.

Harry's mind quickly ran through everything that he could think of, but he wasn't sure what Snape was referring to.

Without another word, Snape lifted his arm and pointed directly at the table against the wall where Harry had sat all of his refreshments earlier.

"Oh," Harry replied, his cheeks pinking a bit.

Not looking Snape in the eye, Harry swiftly walked over to the table and began piling everything into his arms. He had almost finished when one of the bags of chips slipped out of his arms and fell to the floor.

"Sorry," Harry said, bending down to grab the bag. While trying to balance the bag on the top of the pile, a box of wizard candy tipped out of arms. "Sorry."

"Do you need some help?" Snape asked. He stood next to the door with his arms crossed over his chest; however, his menacing stance was contradicted by the amusement that Harry could see in the man's eyes when he flicked a glance over in his professor's direction.

"No. I've got it," Harry quickly answered. He knew that he looked foolish, but he couldn't help feeling a little nervous around the man. Until he finally made his decision about what he would tell Snape, he figured that he might continue to feel nervous around him.

Once he was sure that he had all of the snacks and drinks held securely in his arms, he turned around. Snape had opened the door for him and was waiting for Harry to leave.

Avoiding Snape's eyes, Harry walked into the hallway. As he was heading towards the library, he heard his professor's last parting words.

"Just think about it, Potter."

Harry heard the door close behind him, but he didn't even break his stride. He opened the library door and walked inside. Going over to the table, Harry carefully sat everything down, making sure that he did not spill anything on the old books littering the tabletop.

Sitting in his chair, Harry gazed straight ahead, not looking at anything in particular.

"Harry, you will never believe what Hermione…"

Ron trailed off as he realized that Harry was not paying any attention to him.

"Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry was only dimly aware of his friends talking; however, his mind continued to revolve around what had happened in the last ten minutes.

Ron and Hermione exchanged worried glances as they saw Harry's blank stare. They had been excited when Harry had walked into the room, and they had wanted to share with Harry what they had found. The wide smiles faded as Harry didn't even notice them.

Putting a hand in front of Harry's face, Ron loudly snapped his fingers a few times. Harry visibly started and his gaze focused on his two friends standing in front of him.

"Are you all right, mate?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Harry answered. "Sorry. I just…have a lot on my mind."

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other again, but Harry missed it as he grabbed a bottle of water and twirled it around absentmindedly on the table.

"Are you sure, Harry? You don't seem okay," Hermione asserted.

Ignoring her words, Harry continued his motions. "Was there something that you guys wanted to tell me? You seemed excited about something."

Even though Ron and Hermione were still worried about Harry, they filed away their concern for later. Harry's question had reminded them of what had been found before Harry had entered the room.

Grinning, Hermione said, "Guess what we found while you were gone?"

It only took a few seconds for Harry to realize where this was going. All of his thoughts about Snape's proposition left his mind.

"You found it," Harry whispered, relief evident in his voice as a small smile began working its way across his face.

"Hermione thinks so," Ron responded. "She wouldn't tell me what the book said, though, until you came back."

"So," Ron continued as he turned towards Hermione. "Don't keep us waiting."

"Well," Hermione began, her voice taking on a lecturing tone, "this may just be a legend, mind you. I found it in a book filled with myths and legends in wizarding history. I didn't really expect to find it in there, but I wound up looking there any way. Don't get your hopes up, Harry."

"Hermione," Ron exasperatingly said. "We get the picture. Just tell us."

A dark look was sent Ron's way.

"I just want Harry to know that there is a possibility that Voldemort is looking for something that doesn't even exist. If that is the case, then we don't have anything to worry about. If it is real, however…" Hermione paused a moment. "Well, we can get to that later."

"There are many things that Muggles think are legends," Harry interjected. "Unicorns, centaurs, dragons. Muggles may not believe that they exist, but that doesn't change the fact that they are real. Many times myths and legends are based on fact."

Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Of course, Harry," she simply replied.

Pulling the book towards her, Hermione found the bookmarked page and placed a finger on the first sentence of a paragraph. She remained silent for a few seconds while re-reading the passage and trailing her finger over the words.

Harry wondered why she even bothered to go over the pages again. He knew that she had probably retained most of the information during the first time that she had read it, and, if he knew Hermione, she had probably read it several more times during his absence.

Impatient, Ron began absentmindedly drumming his fingers on the desk. The library was not his favorite place in the world, and reading was not even on his top ten list of things that he liked to do. The three of them had been researching for the past week, and Ron did not want to wait any longer.

Even though Hermione did not stop reading, she quickly reached out a hand and latched onto Ron's tapping fingers. Looking down, Ron realized what he had been doing. He snatched his hand back and folded his arms on top of the table. Harry gave a faint smile just watching how the two of them behaved around it each other.

"Done."

Ron and Harry had been watching Hermione for the last few minutes, but at her declaration, they leaned in closer.

Harry wasn't sure, but he could have sworn that he heard Ron quietly whisper, 'Finally.'

"I'll summarize what I've read," Hermione explained, "but I think that you should both read it later."

"We trust you, Hermione," Harry responded.

Hermione looked pleased at the compliment. Clearing her throat, she focused on the task at hand.

"There isn't a whole lot known about Slytherin, or about any of the other Founders for that matter. They lived over a thousand years ago, and Slytherin, as you both know, had a falling out with the others."

Seeing that Ron and Harry were paying close attention, Hermione continued.

"Shortly after the split between Slytherin and the other Founders, Slytherin was in love with a woman named Ophelia. She was a very powerful witch, and the two of them were going to get married. Slytherin gave her a necklace with an emerald snake on it as an engagement present…"

"A necklace? I thought that you gave girls a ring as an engagement present," Ron asked.

Impatient at being interrupted, Hermione tried to answer Ron's question as quickly and shortly as possible.

"Normally, yes. Slytherin, however, was a very rich wizard. He gave her the necklace along with an engagement ring. The reason that I did not mention the ring, Ronald, is because the necklace is what is important."

Harry's heartbeat was beginning to quicken. He was getting closer to discovering what Voldemort wanted. If Voldemort was doing everything in his power to find this piece of jewelry, then he and the Order would have to do everything in their power in order to make sure that that did not happen.

"Please continue, Hermione," Harry said, his steady voice not betraying the swirling emotions inside of him.

"Apparently, Ophelia was not faithful to Slytherin during the engagement. Slytherin believed that she had been cheating on him, so he became very possessive and controlling. When he discovered that she had been together with someone that he knew, he went into a rage and tortured the person before killing him."

A slight shiver went through Harry's frame. He had known that Salazar Slytherin had a dark past; however, this seemed different from all of that.

"After murdering the lover, Slytherin left the body in the man's house. Ophelia and the man had arranged to meet later that day. When Ophelia showed up at her lover's home, she discovered the mangled body. She realized immediately what had happened, and she started to escape the house. Before she could leave, however, Slytherin had been waiting for her. He shouted all of his accusations into her face."

Interested, Ron asked. "What happened then?"

"As I said, Ophelia was a powerful witch. She knew that Slytherin might kill her next if she did not do something. A duel began between the two of them as Ophelia fought for her life. Even though Ophelia was as strong magically as Slytherin, she was unable to defeat him. Slytherin gained control of her wand and stood over her. He proclaimed that if he could not have her, then no one could."

"_Did_ he kill her?" Harry questioned.

"According to the story," Hermione replied, "he didn't. He did something much worse. Somehow, he managed to trap her inside of the necklace. With her trapped inside, Slytherin would be capable of carrying her around with him everywhere. Supposedly, only a Parselmouth would be able to release her from her prison. And since Parselmouths are extremely rare, he believed that Ophelia would never be able to escape."

"So," Ron confusedly asked, "Voldemort wants the necklace in order to release Ophelia?"

"Of course not, Ron," Hermione answered. "Voldemort wouldn't gain anything from doing that. Since Ophelia was very powerful, the necklace supposedly contains all of her power. Any witch or wizard who wears the necklace will be able to use her powers. Voldemort is all ready an extremely powerful wizard, but with this necklace, he might become unstoppable."

A silence descended on the room after hearing that announcement. Ron's mouth had opened slightly, and Harry finally sat back in the chair.

Harry allowed his gaze and his thoughts to wander.

'So, that is what Voldemort wants,' Harry thought. 'It makes sense that he would want to find some way to increase his power. I have been able to defeat him several times since I was a baby, and he apparently does not want to take any more chances.'

Turning back to Hermione, Harry asked, "You said that this story is believed to be a legend. How much of this story is actually based on fact?"

"Salazar Slytherin did have a girlfriend named Ophelia, and she was a powerful witch. They were engaged to be married, and she did own a necklace with an emerald snake; however, she disappeared one day, and no one knows what happened to her. The rest of the story – the lover, the murder, the trapped soul – it may all be false. Since we have been unable to find any other information on Slytherin and Ophelia, it may be that the tale is nothing more than a legend."

"Still, we can't discount anything," Harry insisted. "We know for a fact that Voldemort is searching for the necklace, so we have to assume that it is real. People believed that the Chamber of Secrets was a myth, but we were able to find it. Now, we must find this necklace before Voldemort gets his hands on it."

"Assuming that the necklace that your mother mentioned in her diary and the necklace that Slytherin owned are the same ones, how did your family end up with it?" Ron questioned. "So far as you know, your mother's family is all Muggle; however, your mother said that the necklace had been passed down through several generations. We know that You-Know-Who is the last remaining heir of Slytherin, so how did your mother end up with it?"

"Who knows, Ron?" Harry replied. "All I know is that my mother was the last known person to own the necklace, so it is most likely in one of my parents' vaults at Gringotts."

"Harry, I know that you didn't want to involve anyone else in our research, but if we are correct in what we believe, then we can't do this alone any more. We need help," Hermione sincerely said.

Without hesitating, Harry answered. "I know. I promised you that I would not go off as soon as we found something. I promised that we wouldn't do this alone. We can't afford to do that again, not since what happened at the Ministry with Sirius."

Hermione placed a hand gently on Harry's arm in support.

Briskly giving his head a shake in order to clear it of any depressing thoughts about his godfather, Harry stared at the book open in front of Hermione.

"When will we tell everyone?" Ron asked.

"Soon," Harry firmly replied. "We don't have a lot of time to waste. I don't know what Voldemort does or does not know about the necklace. He may have all ready discovered the jewelry's last owner."

"I bet Snape won't be too happy that you were eavesdropping on a conversation between him and the Headmaster," Ron commented.

Harry realized that by sharing with the Order everything that they had discovered during their research, they would also have to explain how they had found out about the necklace in the first place. Thinking about Snape brought back to his mind the proposition that the Potion's Master had made earlier.

A sick feeling came into his stomach. What if Snape decided to retract his offer once he found out that Harry had purposefully overheard that private conversation? He and Snape had been getting along better, but Harry was worried that one small thing would cause the two of them to go back to the way that they had been during the past few years.

Even though Harry hadn't yet decided whether he would tell Snape yes or no regarding the guardianship, he still didn't want the man to rescind the offer. It felt wonderful to know that someone was willing to take him in and to take care of him. He had been foisted on the Dursleys, and he never wanted anyone else to think of him as a burden. Snape had been the one to offer the guardianship, not the other way around. Obviously his professor was willing to take on the responsibility.

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione's worried voice intruded into Harry's thoughts.

"Yeah, mate. You looked a little pale there," Ron added.

Harry hadn't been sure whether he wanted to tell Ron and Hermione about Snape's offer. He had thought about waiting to tell them until after he had all ready given Snape his answer; however, his newfound concerns caused him to rethink it all.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Harry spoke.

"There's something that I need to tell you."

"Does it have to do with something that happened earlier?" Hermione asked, her eyes locked on Harry.

"How did you…"

"When you came into the library, you were really out of it," Hermione answered. "Ron and I could tell that something must have happened, but we had no idea what. We will listen if you want to talk with us about it."

Harry was grateful that he could share everything with his friends and get their opinion on it. Ultimately, the decision would have to be his, but he knew that he needed some help and advice.

"When I was coming back upstairs earlier, Snape told me to come into his room. After I sat down, he told me something that had me a little rattled. That's why I acted the way that I did when I entered the library."

"What was it, Harry?" Ron asked.

"He offered to take guardianship of me."


	25. Chapter 25

Last chapter:

_Harry was grateful that he could share everything with his friends and get their opinion on it. Ultimately, the decision would have to be his, but he knew that he needed some help and advice._

"_When I was coming back upstairs earlier, Snape told me to come into his room. After I sat down, he told me something that had me a little rattled. That's why I acted the way that I did when I entered the library."_

"_What was it, Harry?" Ron asked._

"_He offered to take guardianship of me."_

xXxXxXxXx

There was a brief silence before anyone broke it.

"What?!" Ron yelled.

Harry grimaced and glanced worriedly at the closed library door. He had known Ron wouldn't be too discreet upon finding out the news, but he didn't want anyone to come into the room after hearing Ron's loud exclamation. The three of them had been secretive enough the past week; it wouldn't take much to draw someone into the library.

"Ron, calm down," Hermione said.

Thankful for Hermione's words, Harry threw a quick smile her way. He noticed that her face did not look as surprised as Ron's did. She probably had not expected something like this to happen, but she obviously wasn't too shocked. When he had broken the news to them, she had only raised an eyebrow before letting a pleased look cross her face.

"What?" Ron repeated, his eyes glued on Harry.

Harry was glad that Ron had at least lowered his voice the second time around.

"Believe me," Harry responded, "I was just as surprised as you are."

Ron snorted.

"Well," Ron asked impatiently, "what did you say?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Ron and Hermione responded together in disbelief.

"Well, I didn't really know what to say," Harry defensively added. "Before I could even say anything, though, he told me to take a few days to think it over."

"So, you didn't say yes?" Ron questioned, his tone implying what he thought of the guardianship.

"I didn't say no, either."

"I think," Hermione broke in, "that this is a good idea."

Both Ron and Harry turned towards her. Ron looked at her with skepticism, while Harry's look encouraged her to keep talking. Hermione could tell that Harry desperately wanted some advice.

"I won't tell you what you should do," Hermione cautioned. "I'll just tell you what I think of the situation. I think that this would make you happy, and I think that Professor Snape would benefit from it as well."

Harry nodded slightly as he listened to Hermione speak.

"And whatever you decide, Ron and I will stay out of it," Hermione firmly said.

"Hey!" Ron interjected.

"It has to be Harry's decision," Hermione immediately replied in a no-nonsense voice while looking at Ron. "His - and only his - decision."

Harry smirked in amusement. It was good to know that his friends could be dependable and reliable.

"Thank you," Harry replied. "Now, I think that we should clean up in here."

The three of them looked briefly at the surface of the table. It would take a while to replace all of the stacks of books back on the shelves; however, they would need to do it before anyone else entered the library.

Grabbing the book of myths and legends, Hermione bent down and slipped it into her bag.

"When we finally tell someone about the necklace, we may need to show them the book where I found the story of Salazar and Ophelia. I'll keep it safe until we need it again."

As she straightened back up, Hermione began to take charge.

"All right, here's what we'll do. I was the one who picked all of the books out, so I would be the only one of us who knows where they belong in the library. Harry, Ron, I want both of you to grab a stack of books and follow me."

Unable to refute Hermione's logic, Ron and Harry wordlessly picked up some books and followed her orders. Without hesitating, Hermione walked over to a specific section of bookshelves. They had replaced many of the books throughout the week, but they had continuously added more books to the stacks which would now need to be returned to their proper place.

"I want you both to hand me a book one at a time," Hermione said as soon as they were all standing next to each other. "Once I have put the book back, then I'll be ready for the next one."

By the time that all of the books were correctly replaced on the shelves and the tabletop was finally clean, Harry's arms and back were aching. It had taken almost an hour of lifting and carrying and sorting before the job was finished. Even though he was sore all over, Harry was glad that they were finally done. They had discovered the nature of the necklace; now they only needed to locate it. Of course, that might end up easier said than done, but Harry was feeling very optimistic at the moment. It seemed like the only possible location for the necklace would either be in a Gringott's vault or in the house at Godric's Hollow. If several members of the Order were involved in searching for the necklace, then the search should go even faster.

"Well," Ron commented as he stretched out the kinks in his muscles, "I don't know about the two of you, but I would be happy not to step foot in another library until we go back to Hogwarts."

"You still haven't finished your summer homework, have you, Ron?" Hermione asked. And even though she was asking Ron a question, her tone implied that she all ready knew the answer.

Ron only grunted in response.

"Then you may need to use the library again before the summer is over," Hermione cheerfully continued, a teasing quality in her voice. She was well aware of the fact that Ron would rather be doing anything else besides spending his free time reading.

As the trio made their way to the library door, they discussed how they would like to spend the rest of their time until school started on the first of September. Harry took one last glance back around the room in order to make sure that everything looked in place. Placing his hand on the knob, Harry opened the door and almost ran into the person standing on the other side.

"Remus!" Harry exclaimed when he realized who was standing in front of him.

A wide smile spread across Harry's face as he stepped forward and gave his former professor a big hug. The last time that he had seen Remus had been when he had still been living at his aunt and uncle's house. Remus had been his guard one day, and they had briefly talked; however, it was really good to see him again. Harry knew that Remus, just like Ron and Hermione, would have a lot of questions for him to answer, but he promised himself that he would be honest with the man. He had already lied to Remus earlier in the summer when Remus had asked him how the Dursleys were treating him, and Harry did not want to lie to him again. It was uncomfortable talking to people about certain things in his life, but it was getting easier as time went on.

Remus gave Harry a tight squeeze and held on for a long time. Harry just allowed himself to relax in the embrace. By the time that the two separated, Remus had a soft smile on his face.

"I just now got here," Remus explained. "I heard that the three of you have been holed up in the library for the past week. I was coming up here to find you."

Remus then looked around at the rest of the group.

"Hello, Ron, Hermione."

"Hi," they replied.

"I wish that I could have been here when you arrived, Harry, but I've been busy," Remus said.

"That's okay," Harry replied.

Looking into the library, Remus saw that there were no books scattered around. He had heard that the trio had supposedly been studying. If so, then they must be finished for the day.

"If you are done studying, I would like to spend some time talking with you, Harry," Remus offered.

"Of course," Harry enthusiastically answered.

As Remus turned to find a more private room for them to talk, Harry finally noticed that Snape was standing at the end of the hall. Harry realized that the man must have heard people talking in the hall and had left the room to investigate. He wondered how long his professor had been standing there.

Harry still didn't know how to act around the man, so he tried to avoid looking into his eyes. Face expressionless, Snape just stood watching the group loitering outside of the library.

"So, you are back, Lupin."

"Yes, Severus. I just now returned. I will make my report to the Order later. I wanted to spend some time with Harry first."

At that comment, Harry felt Snape's eyes turn to him. Unable to stop himself, Harry lifted his gaze and looked at his professor. Harry saw something cross Snape's face when Remus mentioned talking with him, but Harry couldn't tell what emotion it was.

"Well, I wouldn't want to keep you," Snape replied, as he stepped to the side.

Harry was able to hear the slightest bit of sarcasm in the comment, but Remus only nodded his head and began to walk down the hallway.

After going up another flight of stairs, Remus opened a door and Harry followed him inside. With a wave of his wand, the candles instantly sprouted flames and light filled the room. Remus sat down on one end of a couch and gestured for Harry to sit at the other end.

"You have had a busy summer," Remus noted.

Harry lightly scoffed at the understatement. He waited to see what Remus would say next.

"When you went missing, I helped search for you. Did you know that? I wanted to continue looking for you; however, Albus had something that he needed me to take care of. I only found out a few days ago that you were safe and okay."

"Sorry," Harry replied.

"What are you sorry for?" Remus genuinely wanted to know. "It isn't your fault that your relatives are awful people. It isn't your fault that the Daily Prophet did not respect your privacy. It isn't your fault that the adults in your life have failed you. We should have realized what was going on and then removed you from the situation."

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell anyone. You asked me about the Dursleys and I lied to you," Harry responded, trying to explain himself. "And I shouldn't have run away from Hogwarts. I understand that now. I guess Snape would say that I was indulging my impulsive Gryffindor side."

Remus's eyes softened while listening to Harry speak.

"I also heard that you saved Severus from the Death Eaters. That was very brave. Very foolish, yes, but very brave."

"I couldn't just do nothing," Harry answered. "He was going to die, and no one else could help him."

"I was not criticizing you for what you did, Harry. I don't know if Severus told you, but I'm sure he is grateful that you saved his life. I hope that the rest of this summer will be less eventful for you. There is still a little over a month left in the summer, and you need to spend that time having fun with your friends and not worrying about Death Eaters, visions, and Voldemort."

Harry looked down for a moment before raising his eyes and making a decision.

"Remus," Harry spoke, "I have something to tell you."

"Yes, Harry?" Remus asked, concern in his voice.

Taking a deep breath, Harry continued. "As you know, the Dursleys are not going to be my guardians any more."

Remus nodded and encouraged Harry to finish.

Harry braced himself and decided to just spit it out.

"So…Professor Snape offered to be my guardian."

Remus slowly rested back against the sofa cushion. His eyebrows were raised in surprise, and he looked like he was trying to digest the news. Ron and Hermione had already heard about the change in relationship between him and Snape, but Harry was sure that all of this would be news to Remus. Harry knew that Remus had heard about him rescuing Snape; however, Harry didn't know if Remus was also aware of the fact that he and Snape had been forced to stay at the professor's house for several days afterwards.

"Well," Remus finally said. "I was not expecting this. How did this happen?"

Taking the next few minutes, Harry explained everything that had happened to him over the summer. He explained how Snape had rescued him from the Dursleys and how Snape had later talked to him about their abuse. Harry told him about reading the Daily Prophet, escaping to Godric's Hollow, and then rescuing Snape. By the time that Harry had brought Remus up to the present, he saw that Remus had a more understanding look on his face.

Once he had finished his tale, Harry waited to see what Remus's reaction would be.

"I'm glad that Severus finally stopped taking his feelings against James out on you. I guess that now he sees you for you. He hasn't hurt you any more, Harry, has he?"

Harry knew that Remus was talking about the hurtful barbs that the professor used to shoot his way; however, Harry's thoughts turned to the time when he found out that Snape had been the one to tell the Ministry about the abuse. Just thinking about that, though, did not hurt as much as it used to.

"No, Remus," Harry firmly replied without a pause. "He hasn't."

Satisfied, Remus responded, "Good. Have you decided what you are going to tell him?"

"Not yet. He told me to think it over. I told Ron and Hermione right after it happened…"

"Let me guess," Remus teased, "Ron wasn't too pleased, and Hermione thought it was a brilliant idea?"

"Yeah," Harry snickered.

"Well, I have to agree with Hermione."

That comment stopped Harry's laughter.

"You do?" he seriously inquired. "You aren't upset by it?"

Confused, Remus asked, "Why would I be upset? I was surprised by your announcement, but I'm not upset by it. I would gladly take guardianship of you myself if I were allowed to."

"It's just…I know that you, Sirius, and my dad didn't get along with Professor Snape. I bet Dad and Sirius wouldn't be too thrilled by finding out that Snape might become my new guardian."

Remus leaned over and laid a hand on Harry's knee.

"Look at me, Harry."

Harry was startled by the sternness in his former professor's voice, and he immediately gazed into Remus's eyes.

"Do not make your decision based on what you think Sirius or your Dad would say. You make your decision based on how you feel. If you want Severus to be your new guardian, then that is what you should do. If you decide that you want someone else, then that will be fine also. James and Sirius loved you very much, and they would not want you to make yourself sick worrying over something like this. They would want you to be healthy and happy. If you think that Severus can provide you with that, then that is all there is to it."

"Thank you, Remus," Harry softly responded.

After giving Harry's knee a squeeze, he removed his hand.

"I'm sure that you and your friends have things that you want to do. I am glad that you and I had a chance to talk. If you need me for _anything_," Remus stressed, "then I am here for you. Do not hesitate to come find me. Albus doesn't have anything more for me to do right now, so I will be around Grimmauld Place for a while longer."

"I will, Remus. I'm glad that you're back. I appreciate your advice," Harry sincerely replied as he stood up.

Leaving the room, Harry felt lighter, as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He still wasn't ready to give Snape an answer yet, but he did feel better about the whole thing.


	26. Chapter 26

Last chapter:

"_I'm sure that you and your friends have things that you want to do. I am glad that you and I had a chance to talk. If you need me for anything," Remus stressed, "then I am here for you. Do not hesitate to come find me. Albus doesn't have anything more for me to do right now, so I will be around Grimmauld Place for a while longer."_

"_I will, Remus. I'm glad that you're back. I appreciate your advice," Harry sincerely replied as he stood up._

_Leaving the room, Harry felt lighter, as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He still wasn't ready to give Snape an answer yet, but he did feel better about the whole thing._

xXxXxXxXx

Going down the stairs to dinner that night, Harry decided that he would tell Snape about the necklace after everyone finished eating. Snape could then tell the rest of the Order the information that had been discovered, and the Order members could help in the search for the necklace. Harry figured that it would be best to find the jewelry as soon as possible.

When he entered the kitchen, Harry sat down at the table along with Ron and Hermione. Most of the house members were all ready seated, and Harry found himself across from Ginny, Fred, and George. Almost automatically, his eyes scanned the table and noticed that neither Snape nor Remus were in the room. They must be running late for the meal.

"So," Harry said, while looking at the twins, "will you be able to open up your joke shop tomorrow, or is it still a mess?"

At the end of his question, Harry realized that Fred was shaking his head while George's eyes had widened slightly. Harry didn't understand what that meant until he noticed Mrs. Weasley honing in on them.

"What is this about?" Mrs. Weasley demanded as she plunked a platter of chicken on the table. Her hands were cocked on her hips as she waited for an answer.

"Sorry," Harry silently mouthed, while the twins gave him glares.

"It wasn't a big deal, mum," Fred soothingly replied, trying to downplay the event. "Just a little mishap. Not even worth mentioning."

"Yeah, mum," George echoed. "It's nothing that you need to worry about. Everything is just fine."

A skeptical look was on their mother's face. Suddenly, she turned to look at Harry.

"Harry, dear," Mrs. Weasley sweetly and calmly said, "what do you know about this?"

"Oh, er…well, I just happened to see Fred and George earlier, and they may have mentioned that something had happened. They didn't really go into details," Harry uncomfortably answered. He tried to stay truthful and vague without causing any more problems; he really didn't want to be dragged into the middle of it.

"I knew you shouldn't have started that joke shop," Mrs. Weasley lectured while turning back to her sons. "Your experimenting is dangerous and could get one of you seriously hurt."

Harry knew that Mrs. Weasley wouldn't be happy finding out that George had been burned in the accident, but he certainly wasn't about to bring it up. If George wanted his mother to know, then Harry would let him tell the woman.

Mrs. Weasley's persistent scolding went on for several more minutes as she continued to place the food on the table. She probably would have gone on even longer, but Harry decided to intervene and try to make it up to Fred and George.

"Here, Mrs. Weasley," Harry interrupted as he got out of his seat and walked over to her. "Let me help you."

Gently taking the bowl of salad out of her hands, he tried to usher her towards the table.

"Harry, you don't have to do that," Mrs. Weasley argued.

"I know that I don't have to, but I want to," Harry answered, genuinely meaning it. "You cooked the meal, so you should sit down and relax now."

As Mrs. Weasley allowed herself to be led to the table, Harry's friends jumped up to help him. Ron and Hermione grabbed the drinks, while Fred, George, and Ginny handled the rest of the dishes.

Once the table was finally set, everyone settled down and dug in.

"Thanks for ratting us out, Potter," Fred said.

Despite the fact that Fred had used his last name, Harry could tell that he wasn't really angry. Fred voice had been teasing, and George was grinning while listening to his brother.

"Sorry," Harry apologized again. "I didn't realize that she didn't know. You were here earlier. She might have seen you then and wondered why you were home early."

After taking a quick glance towards the adults at the other end of the table, Ron asked, "So, what really did happen?"

"It was just a little setback," George reassured them. "Inventing new products involves some trial and error."

"Seems like there was a lot of error," Hermione dryly added.

George tried to look wounded by Hermione's comment, but everyone just laughed.

The rest of the meal went by with a lot of bantering. Harry was enjoying himself so much that he didn't realize until most of the food was gone that Remus and Snape had never shown up.

Wondering if something had happened, Harry decided to interrupt the adults.

"Mrs. Weasley?"

"Yes, dear," Mrs. Weasley immediately answered.

"Do you know were Remus or Professor Snape are? I saw them both earlier."

"They went to Hogwarts in order to see Albus. I expect that it will be late when they return."

"Thanks," Harry said.

He was a little disappointed upon hearing that. He had wanted to tell Snape about the necklace tonight, but it looked like he would have to wait until tomorrow.

His friends must have realized that Mrs. Weasley's response was not what he had wanted to hear.

"Let's go play Gobstones," Ron suggested.

"All right," Harry quickly agreed.

Tonight was for having fun with his friends, Harry decided. He could get down the more serious stuff tomorrow.

xXxXxXxXx

After eating dinner with Lupin and the Headmaster, Severus was ready to leave. It had not been enjoyable eating with the two of them who kept trying to make small talk with him. He knew that he would have to stay, however, in order to hear Lupin's report to Dumbledore.

"Shall we continue this conversation in my office?" Albus finally announced at the end of the meal.

Severus stood up and followed them. He ignored their comments as he walked along; they wouldn't talk about the truly important information until they were behind closed doors. He hoped that the meeting would not take too long.

As soon as everyone was comfortably seated in the office, Lupin became the focus of the room.

"What have you found out?" Dumbledore asked.

Lupin had been busy the last several days trying to find the necklace that Voldemort was searching for. Severus had wanted to be more involved in the Order's investigation, but the Headmaster felt that it would be better for him to keep a low profile after the Dark Lord had discovered him as a spy. Of course, he had still been involved in some research and potion making; however, he wanted to spend more time away from the Order's headquarters.

"As you know, I began my investigation inside Hogwarts. It took quite a while to search through all of the various rooms around the school, but I believe that my search was more than adequate. The only area that I was unable to access, however, was the Chamber of Secrets. Since we believe that the necklace has ties to Salazar Slytherin, it is entirely possible that the piece of jewelry is located down there. Voldemort may have all ready considered that possibility, though. We may need to bring Harry to Hogwarts and have him open the Chamber for us."

Lupin had been chosen to lead the exploration around the school since it was believed that he had more knowledge about the school than most anyone else. Snape sneered just thinking about the Marauders and everything that the group had been up to during their school years.

"We will keep that in mind, Remus," Albus said. "What else have you discovered?"

"My next search was concentrated among some of the more…shady jewelry and antique stores. I included Knockturn Alley in the hunt, as well. I did not want to incur anyone's suspicions, so I never directly asked about the necklace. After looking around the stores, I eventually talked to the proprietors about the types of items that the store had, and I involved them in conversation that would seem meaningless to anyone else."

Albus nodded his head as he listened.

"From what I found out," Remus leaned forward, his voice intent and serious, "it seems that most of the stores that I visited had been broken into during the last few weeks and days. The owners said that nothing had been stolen from the stores, and they never caught any of the perpetrators. I would guess that Voldemort has kept his Death Eaters busy searching for this necklace."

"Neither Tonks nor Kingsley have mentioned massive break-ins in the area," Albus commented.

"My guess would be that the stores did not want to involve the authorities," Severus spoke up, "especially since nothing was stolen. Those kinds of stores, the ones which sell Dark items and items of questionable content, do not want anything to do with the Ministry or with Aurors."

"I don't know how much luck we are going to have in finding this thing," Remus said. "Salazar Slytherin lived over a thousand years ago. If he did pass the necklace down to his heirs, then it has since been lost. Voldemort is the last heir of Slytherin, and we know that Voldemort doesn't have the jewelry."

"Nevertheless, we must continue searching," Dumbledore firmly responded. "We do not know what Voldemort wants to do with this item, but the fact that he wants it tells us many things. We must not allow him to get his hands on it. Do you have anything else to report?"

"Nothing right now, Albus," Remus answered.

"All right. I do not have anything more for you to do at this moment, Remus. I will see both of you," Dumbledore's glance included Snape as well, "later."

Walking down the stairs, Severus decided that he would spend a little time in his office before returning to Grimmauld Place. He ignored Lupin as he began to walk towards the staircase.

"Can I have a moment of your time, Severus?" Remus said.

Even though the sentence was a question, the Potions Master could tell that the werewolf had not meant it as a request. There was determination in his tone, and Lupin was not going to accept 'no' as an answer. Severus was fairly certain what the man wanted to have a conversation about.

"Follow me," was all that he replied.

Without waiting to receive a response or to see if the other man would come, Snape continued his trek down to the dungeons. He didn't look back during the journey, but the sound of the man's footsteps behind him told him that Lupin was keeping up.

After entering his office, Severus stood in front of his desk with his arms folded across his chest. Remus shut the door and then immediately came over to stand in front of him.

"I'm guessing that this has something to do with Potter," Snape casually said.

When he had witnessed Harry and Lupin going off together earlier, he had known that this conversation would occur sooner or later. He didn't know what exactly Harry had told the werewolf, but he guessed he was about to find out.

There was a slight tightening around Remus's lips upon hearing him referring to Harry by his last name; however, that was the only emotion Lupin showed.

"Harry," there was a slight stress on the name, "told me about his summer. He also mentioned that today you offered to take guardianship of him."

A pause filled the room as Remus waited for a response. The only answer that Severus gave was a small nod.

"Why?"

"Why did he mention it to you?" a smirk crossed Snape's face. "I would guess that…"

"Don't."

Remus's abrupt command was stern and not willing to play games.

The smirk slipped off his face, and Snape immediately became serious.

"I think that this is something between Harry and me. Suffice it to say, I no longer feel the same way that I did towards him."

There was a glint in Remus's eyes, and Severus could see a hint of the beast that the man became once a month.

"I told Harry that I would support him whatever he decided to do. If he wants you for his guardian, then I will be right there beside him," Remus explained, "but let me warn you, I will not allow you to hurt him. If I hear one bad word out of his mouth about how you treat him, you will regret it."

"Very well."

Remus seemed surprised that he had easily accepted the threat, but Snape knew that many people would not fully trust him with the Boy-Who-Lived. It would take time for people to believe that things had changed, and he understood that there would be many eyes closely watching what he did.

Deciding that he wouldn't allow Lupin to have the last word, Severus continued speaking.

"I have no intention of harming Harry. I believe that he has suffered enough during his life. I _will_ keep him safe."

The last comment was stated firmly and decisively. Snape knew that he would have a difficult job ahead of him if Harry accepted his offer, but he was willing to meet that challenge.

"Now," Snape said dismissely, "if there is nothing else, I have work to do."

Even though he was sure that Lupin would want to talk with him some more about this in the future, the man only nodded and began to turn back to the door.

"Good night, Severus. I will see you again tomorrow."

As soon as the door closed behind the werewolf, the Potions Master stood still for a few more moments. He wondered how many more of these conversations he would be having before everything was over and done with.

xXxXxXxXx

The next morning, Harry stretched as he slowly got out of bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He and his friends had stayed up late the night before playing games and talking. They had tried to keep quiet, but they apparently weren't very successful, when Mrs. Weasley finally came downstairs in a floral nightgown and promptly told them to go to sleep or else.

Slapping at Ron's leg as he passed the bed, Harry started to pull clothes out of the wardrobe in order to get dressed.

"Time to get up, Ron. I doubt your mum will let us sleep in today after we woke her up last night," Harry said with a smile.

Ron groaned but finally roused himself out from under the covers.

Once Harry was sure that Ron was getting up, he left the bedroom. He had never heard Snape or Remus come back last night, but he hoped that they would be at breakfast. Since he hadn't been able to talk to Snape last night, he wanted to take care of it as soon as the meal was over.

Entering the kitchen, he was pleased to see both men there. Snape didn't look happy sitting near Remus, but both of them looked over when he opened the door.

"Good morning," Harry said, looking at Snape and Remus.

"Good morning, Harry," Remus replied. Patting the bench, he added, "Come sit with me."

Walking over, Harry plopped down beside his former professor. Most of the food was all ready placed on the table top, and Ginny was helping her mother finish with the rest.

"Mrs. Weasley said that you and Professor Snape went to Hogwarts last night," Harry commented.

Remus could tell that Harry was fishing for more information.

"Yes, we did. I just needed to tell Albus some information for the Order."

Upon hearing the word 'Order,' Harry knew that he probably wouldn't be finding anything else out. Since he and his friends were not old enough to be in the Order of the Phoenix, they were not usually informed with what was going on. Harry was hoping that once he told Snape about the necklace, he might be able to help with the search.

"What did you and your friends do last night?" Remus asked.

As Harry told Remus about his night, he noticed that Snape was listening to his story, even though the man was pretending not to. Remus continued to ask Harry more questions, and by that time, the rest of the house was awake and seated around the table.

When everyone had begun eating, Hermione leaned over to Harry, and as she spoke her eyes briefly shifted over to Snape.

"Are you going to tell him today?"

"Yeah," Harry answered without at Snape. "After breakfast."

Hermione and Ron were aware of what he was going to tell the man. They had offered to be with him when he told Snape about the necklace, but Harry figured that it would be best if he did it alone. After all, he was the one who had eavesdropped on Snape telling Dumbledore about the necklace, and he wasn't sure how well the man would take that. Harry decided it would be best if he took the responsibility for it, and then Ron and Hermione could be more involved later.

When Harry did finally glance in Snape's direction, he noticed that the man was staring at him with an eyebrow raised. Harry wondered if Snape had overheard his short conversation with Hermione.

Deliberately turning back to his friends, he tried to focus on what they were talking about. It seemed like breakfast flew by, and his friends were giving him supporting looks as he stood up from the table.

"Professor Snape," Harry said, slightly nervous.

"Yes?" Snape responded.

The man had finished his meal several minutes before but had continued to sit in his seat for some reason. Harry wondered if the man knew that he wanted to talk to him.

"Can we talk somewhere privately?" Harry asked.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Remus looking at him. Ignoring everyone else in the room, Harry continued to lock eyes with Snape.

"We can talk in the study," Snape answered, as he stood up and gestured for Harry to come with him.

Harry began to follow behind his professor. Watching Snape open a door at the end of the hall, Harry hesitated briefly before taking a deep, steadying breath and going inside. He hoped that everything would turn out okay.

xXxXxXxXx

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Hope you liked the chapter.


	27. Chapter 27

Last chapter:

"_Can we talk somewhere privately?" Harry asked._

_Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Remus looking at him. Ignoring everyone else in the room, Harry continued to lock eyes with Snape._

"_We can talk in the study," Snape answered, as he stood up and gestured for Harry to come with him._

_Harry began to follow behind his professor. Watching Snape open a door at the end of the hall, Harry hesitated briefly before taking a deep, steadying breath and going inside. He hoped that everything would turn out okay._

xXxXxXxXx

Entering the room, Harry tried to walk confidently and nonchalantly over to the chair across from his professor. As he sat down, he purposefully tried to relax into the contours of the cushions. Once he was comfortable, he stilled his movements and looked directly at Snape. It had only been a few moments since he had left the kitchen, but to Harry, it seemed like a lot longer.

A little more confidence streamed through him at the belief that he, Ron, and Hermione had discovered the truth behind the necklace. The three of them had uncovered the truth even when the Order had apparently failed. He and his friends even believed that they might know where to find the necklace. There was a possibility that his mother's necklace was not the same one that Voldemort was searching for; however, Harry had a very strong feeling that he was right.

Even though he was definitely going to tell Snape about the necklace, Harry decided that it would be better to ease himself into the conversation. Snape was sitting patiently and waiting for him to talk.

"Has Voldemort been up to anything lately?" Harry asked.

"There have not been any attacks during the last few days. The Dark Lord is remaining quiet for now. We believe that he is preparing for something," Snape explained.

It made sense that Voldemort had not been visibly active for a while. He had obviously been busy trying to find the necklace, so he would not have been able to expend energy in other activities.

"Have you had any more visions? Has your scar hurt lately?" Snape questioned, his voice serious.

"No," Harry honestly replied.

"Good. I want you to inform me immediately if it does happen," Snape ordered.

Harry nodded.

"Yes, sir."

Snape leaned back in the chair and briskly dipped his head once in acknowledgement of Harry's answer.

"Has your Mark been bothering you?" Harry curiously asked in return.

"Yes," Snape bluntly answered. "The Dark Lord has called many meetings over the last several days; however, you do not need to concern yourself with it."

Harry wished that there was something that he could do for his professor. Since Snape was no longer spying inside Voldemort's ranks, it seemed unfair that the man would have to continue to suffer for the poor choices of his past. The man may have full heartedly supported Voldemort's cause years ago, but he had later turned his back on those ideas and beliefs.

Thinking about Voldemort made Harry glad that he had not experienced another vision since that night at Snape's house. A slight shiver went through his frame as he remembered many of the details of that vision. It had been horrible witnessing what exactly the Death Eaters were capable of…

'No,' Harry sternly told himself. 'There isn't any time for that. I came in here for a specific reason, and I don't need to allow myself to be distracted. It isn't fair what Snape and I have had to go through, but pitying us won't help anyone.'

While attempting to push those dark thoughts about Voldemort out of his mind, Harry noticed that Snape had taken a wand out of his pocket. The professor waved the wand and a bright, warm fire erupted in the fireplace.

Harry realized that the Potions Master must have seen him shiver a few moments ago and believed that he had been cold. Even though the room was a little cool, Harry wasn't about to tell Snape the real reason for the tremor which had passed through his body.

"Thanks," Harry murmured.

As he watched Snape put the wand back in his pocket, Harry realized something else.

"That's still your grandfather's wand, isn't it?" Harry asked. "When are you going to buy a new one? You said that you would get another wand once we left your house."

"I plan to visit Diagon Alley either today or tomorrow," Snape answered. "Is there anything that you need while I am there? I know that your school lists have not arrived yet, but I will buy anything else that you may want now."

When Harry heard that Snape was planning on going to Diagon Alley, excitement welled up inside him. Harry suspected that the necklace was probably in his parents' vault in Gringott's. If Snape was going to be there soon, then maybe he, Ron, and Hermione would be allowed to go along.

"No, I don't need anything," Harry answered, trying to keep his voice calm and steady. "There is a reason that I wanted to talk to you, though."

"I was wondering when you would get around to it," Snape replied. "This doesn't have anything to do with my offer, does it?"

"What?" Harry nearly yelped. "Oh, er, no. It doesn't."

Even though he had spent a while the day before talking with Ron, Hermione, and Remus about Snape's offer to take guardianship of him, Harry had not given the matter much thought otherwise. His mind had been filled with the discovery that Hermione had found in the book of legends. Besides, Snape had only asked him yesterday, and the man did say that he could take a few days to think it over.

Trying to bring his mind back to the information that he wanted to share with Snape, Harry forced himself to get over the awkwardness.

"Do you remember the day that we arrived at Hogwarts after being secluded in your house for a week?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Snape responded.

"Well," Harry decided to just plunge in, "I overheard part of your conversation with Professor Dumbledore that day. Your _private_ conversation with the Headmaster."

Snape's eyes narrowed slightly, but he did not show any other emotion to Harry's words.

"I believe that Albus warded his office while you were in the adjacent room," Snape calmly said. "How was it that you heard anything?"

"I used one of Fred and George's inventions," Harry quickly confessed. He didn't think that Snape looked angry, but he knew that the man could easily hide his emotions. Harry guessed that it had to do with the fact that his professor was a master Occlumens.

"Go on," was the only thing that Snape said.

"I heard you describe a necklace that Voldemort was searching for. A necklace that had a snake attached to it, was very powerful, and may have been associated with Salazar Slytherin."

Harry stood up and began to pace back and forth in front of his chair.

"At the time, I knew that the necklace sounded familiar, but I couldn't understand why it did. Later, I figured it out."

"What did you figure out, Potter?" Snape asked.

Harry internally winced when he heard Snape use his last name. He hoped that the professor wasn't reverting to 'Potter' out of anger. Lately, Snape had been using his first name whenever they were alone; however, the man didn't do it all the time.

Harry hurried to explain.

"After running away from Hogwarts this summer, I went to my parent's house in Godric's Hollow. While there, I discovered a diary that belonged to my mother. I read a lot of it before I rescued you from the Death Eaters. The reason that your description of the necklace sounded so familiar to me was because my mother wrote in her diary about a necklace with a emerald snake on it."

"And you believe that the two necklaces are the same ones," Snape stated. His voice held a note of skepticism.

"Yes," Harry emphatically replied. He had gotten over his nervousness of telling Snape about his eavesdropping, and he was now ready to share everything.

During the next fifteen minutes, Harry proceeded to tell his professor about what he and his friends had been up to during the past week. He explained how they had spent an enormously long time reading and studying and researching. Snape remained silent during his monologue. By the time that he finished describing Hermione's findings, Harry flopped back down onto the chair and waited to see what the professor would say.

"It seems like the three of you were very thorough in your research," Snape finally responded. "Where is the book that Ms. Granger found? And where is your mother's diary?"

"I'll get them," Harry quickly replied as he jumped up and walked towards the door.

He didn't know where his friends had gone after breakfast, but he hoped that it wouldn't take him too long to find them. It might not be wise to keep Snape waiting. The man had taken everything calmly so far, and Harry hoped that this wasn't the calm before the storm.

Making a wild guess, Harry decided to head to the living room. When he, Ron, and Hermione hadn't been studying, they had spent a lot of time in there relaxing, so he hoped that he would find them there.

Once he entered the room, he was relieved to see that Ginny and Ron were engaged in a game of Exploding Snap while Hermione sat nearby watching. Everyone looked up when he walked over to the chair where Hermione was sitting.

"Are you done already?" Hermione asked. "How did it go?"

"Yeah, Harry. We haven't heard any yelling from in there," Ron chimed in.

"I don't have time to talk right now," answered Harry. "I just came in here to get that book from you, Hermione."

Knowing how important this was, Hermione immediately bent down and retrieved the book from her bag on the floor. She handed the book over without asking any more questions.

"Thanks," Harry said as he started to walk away.

He still had to retrieve the diary before he would be able to go back to the study; however, he knew exactly where the diary was located. It didn't take long to go up to his bedroom and dig the diary out of his trunk.

When he finally re-entered the study, Snape was still in the same position that he had been in when Harry left. Flipping to the marked pages, Harry quickly placed the book of legends into Snape's waiting hands. After he had handed that book over, however, Harry didn't want to let go of the diary. It was the only thing of his mothers that he had, and he just did not want to give it up.

"Harry," Snape's exasperated voice broke through, "I will not harm your mother's book. It will be returned to you intact."

Despite Snape's words, there was still a slight hesitation before he allowed the book to leave his hands. Even though he noticed that the professor was being extremely gentle in holding the book, Harry would not take his gaze away.

Eyes rapidly moving over the pages, the Potions Master scanned the selected sections in each of the books. Harry tried to keep still, but he couldn't help fidgeting slightly while he waited.

After a few moments, Snape carefully closed the books and placed them on the arm of the chair.

"If the legend is true," Snape murmured, "that would explain why the Dark Lord would want the necklace."

"It seems to me that neither the Order nor Voldemort are anywhere close to finding this necklace. Even if you don't think that my mother's necklace is the same one, it wouldn't hurt to go look for it. You said that you were already going to visit Diagon Alley soon, so why don't we all go and visit my parents' vault at the same time?" Harry eagerly asked.

Sitting up a little straighter, Snape looked Harry directly in the eye.

"While I do appreciate your findings, there are many things which must be taken care of first. Albus and the Order will need to be informed immediately of your research, and then we will decide what course of action to take. You and your friends may or may not be involved in the search after this point."

"But if it hadn't been for us, the Order may never have realized what Voldemort was after," Harry argued. "We should be allowed to help search for it."

"_You_," Snape stressed, "are a fifteen year old boy…"

"I'll be sixteen soon," Harry muttered.

Ignoring Harry's remark, Snape continued speaking.

"The Dark Lord would like nothing better than to get his hands on you and to kill you. It is the job of the adults around you to keep you safe. I know that you have been lacking in that area during the last few years, but I promise you, I will do whatever I can to protect you whether or not you decide to accept me as your guardian."

Some of the fight left Harry after hearing Snape's speech. He still wanted to help the Order look for the necklace, but he didn't really want to argue about it at that moment.

Seeing that Harry was accepting his words, Snape said, "Now, while I realize that your eavesdropping turned out well in this case, I strongly advise you not to listen in on private conversations in the future, especially if I am involved. If I find out in the future that you have eavesdropped on another one of my conversations, I will not hesitate to punish you."

"Yes, sir," Harry quietly responded.

Snape must have sensed his disappointment from earlier because he added, "If Albus and I believe that we have a safe way to allow you and your friends to join in the search, then you might be allowed to come."

Harry perked up upon hearing that, and a smile broke out on his face.

Not wanting Harry to become too optimistic, Snape pointed a finger warningly in his direction.

"Note that I said that you _might_ be allowed to come. There is no guarantee, Harry, that you will definitely be involved. If the Headmaster and I decide that is unsafe for you to join us, then I do not want to hear another word about it. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Harry repeated, his voice filled with excitement despite the damper that Snape was trying to put on his enthusiasm.

The Potions Master stood up from his chair and indicated for Harry to do the same.

"I am going to speak with Albus right now. I expect that he will call an Order meeting tonight to discuss everything that you have shared with me. That is all that I can tell you at this moment. You may go spend time with your friends now."

Recognizing the dismissal, Harry said good bye to the professor before exiting the room and heading towards Ron and Hermione.

xXxXxXxXx

After Harry left, Snape grabbed the books from the arm of the chair and made his way to the fireplace. The fire was still crackling in the hearth, and Floo powder was already sitting neatly on the mantle. It only took a second to open the jar, scoop some powder out, and throw it into the flames.

Sticking his head into the fire, he called out his destination: the Headmaster's office. The strangeness of having your head flying past several fireplaces while your body remains still thankfully lasted only a few moments. Severus was grateful when his head finally popped into the Headmaster's fire. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, but he was instantly aware of his visitor.

"Severus, what brings you here today?" Dumbledore cheerfully inquired as he laid down the sheet of parchment in his hands.

"May I come through the Floo, Albus?" Snape formally asked. "I have something very important to discuss with you."

"Of course you may."

Upon receiving an affirmative, Severus pulled his head out of the fire and prepared himself to properly Floo to the Headmaster's office. The only reason that he had not done so beforehand was because it would have been rude to drop in on the man unannounced and because he had wanted to make sure the office was empty and secure. Now that everything had been taken care of, he threw some more powder into the fire and left Grimmauld Place.

Striding across the office, the Potions Master seated himself across from Dumbledore. He decided that it would be best to skip the niceties - that the Headmaster always insisted on - and to cut straight to the heart of the matter.

"There may be a new lead in the investigation of the necklace."

His interest piqued, Dumbledore leaned forward.

"What have you found out?"

"Actually, I was not the one who discovered the information."

With that said, Severus immediately launched into everything that Harry had told him that morning after breakfast. The further into the story that he went, the stronger the look of contemplation was on the Headmaster's face. At one point, Severus placed the two books which Harry had given him onto the desk, but Dumbledore merely glanced at them before returning his gaze to the Potions Master. When Snape had finished his report, Dumbledore was leaning back in his chair and had his hands linked together in front of him.

"It is incredible what those three get into," Dumbledore finally responded.

Snape huffed upon hearing that statement.

"I will look through these two books this afternoon," Dumbledore continued. "There will be an Order meeting tonight, and you will need to tell the Order members everything that you have just shared with me. When you return to Headquarters after leaving this office, I want you to find Remus and tell him about this new information. Ask him if he remembers seeing a necklace like this in Lily's possessions. After the Potters died, he helped me pack up their belongings in order to store them in Gringott's. We did not keep a record of everything that went into the vault, but Remus may be able to recall what possessions they owned."

"Very well, Albus," Snape agreed, even though he would rather spend his time doing something else then talking with the werewolf.

"During the meeting tonight, we will decide where to go from here. We may need to be prepared to go to Diagon Alley tomorrow. There is not a lot of time to waste."

"I understand," Severus agreed.

He then decided that it was necessary to warn the Headmaster of an upcoming problem.

"Albus, I must tell you that Potter is very insistent on joining the search for this necklace. I told him that the ultimate decision would be made by you and me, of course."

Dumbledore nodded.

"We will discuss this some more tonight. It looks like we have a lot of work to do. I will see you at the Order meeting, Severus."

Thinking about the Order meeting, which would need to have secrecy, Snape threw one more comment at the Headmaster while standing next to the fireplace.

"If you wish to conduct any more private meetings, I would suggest that you use stronger wards next time," Snape wryly remarked, "especially if those meetings are taking place around Potter or any of the Weasleys."

Having given his piece of advice, Snape returned without another word to Grimmauld Place.

xXxXxXxXx

A/N: Hope you liked this chapter. Classes start back in less than two weeks, so hopefully I'll find some more time to write. I know that some of you are eagerly awaiting Harry's answer to Snape's offer of guardianship, but that won't happen for a little bit longer. Snape only asked him the day before this chapter takes place, and Harry is going to need a little more time than that for him to come to a final decision.

Next chapter: the Order meeting


	28. Chapter 28

Last Chapter:

"_Albus, I must tell you that Potter is very insistent on joining the search for this necklace. I told him that the ultimate decision would be made by you and me, of course."_

_Dumbledore nodded._

"_We will discuss this some more tonight. It looks like we have a lot of work to do. I will see you at the Order meeting, Severus."_

_Thinking about the Order meeting, which would need to have secrecy, Snape threw one more comment at the Headmaster while standing next to the fireplace._

"_If you wish to conduct any more private meetings, I would suggest that you use stronger wards next time," Snape wryly remarked, "especially if those meetings are taking place around Potter or any of the Weasleys."_

_Having given his piece of advice, Snape returned without another word to Grimmauld Place._

xXxXxXxXx

"So, what do we do now?" Arthur Weasley asked after Severus had finished speaking to the Order.

Everyone had listened quietly to the Potions Master explain what Harry, Ron, and Hermione had discovered. There were a few shocked gasps from Order members who did not know the three children very well; however, many of the members just rolled their eyes and let out exasperated sighs. It did not surprise them too much that Harry and his friends had once again meddled in things which should not involve them.

"It is obviously imperative that we find this necklace. Remus, are you aware of any necklace fitting this description that may have belonged to Lily?" Albus questioned.

Faces turned towards Remus as they eagerly awaited his answer.

"If she did, I do not remember it," Remus apologetically replied.

"How could Lily have owned this necklace?" Kingsley asked. "I thought the Dark Lord was the last living descendant of Salazar Slytherin."

"That is true. Voldemort is the last one," Dumbledore agreed. "As to how Lily's family could have acquired the necklace, however, I have no idea. The necklace has been around for over one thousand years. It is possible that the necklace was bought, sold, and passed down as an heirloom many, many times. Lily's family may have had some witches and wizards in the family hundreds of years ago who somehow acquired the necklace. We may possibly never know."

"Now," Dumbledore continued, "I think that it would be best if a search party was sent tomorrow to look through the Potter vault. Severus, I know that you still need a new wand, so I would like you to be involved in the search."

Severus nodded in response. He had all ready known that the Headmaster would include him.

"Remus and Tonks, I would also like you two involved as well."

"And Potter?" Snape asked, attempting to sound as if he did not care either way. There were only a few Order members after all who were aware of the closer relationship that the two of them had.

"I believe that it will be safe enough for Harry to visit Diagon Alley; however, I do not think that it would be wise to send anyone else."

The Headmaster raised a hand to silence the protests that were beginning. He knew that there were several others who would want to accompany the group to Gringotts.

"It would be best if the group was kept small. We do not want to attract unwanted attention. Remus, I would like you and Harry to visit Diagon Alley together. You may enter a few stores before you reach the bank in order to act as normal as possible. Severus, I want you to go to Ollivander's first thing and get your new wand. Do not meet up with Remus and Harry until you are inside of the bank. It would look suspicious if you were walking around Diagon Alley with the two of them. Tonks, I want you to inconspicuously wander around Diagon Alley. I want you to watch for anything suspicious, and I want you to keep an eye on Remus, Harry, and Severus. When they all reach the bank, then you may join them."

The gravity of this task caused Molly Weasley to speak up.

"Are you sure that Harry will be okay? I don't want anything to happen to the poor dear."

"Harry will be surrounded by three Order members. I do not believe that anything unfortunate will happen tomorrow in Diagon Alley in broad daylight; however, we will take as many precautions as possible. There will be another Order meeting tomorrow in order to keep everyone aware of what has happened."

As the meeting ended and Order members started to walk away, Dumbledore pulled Remus and Severus to the side.

"I would like you to tell Harry about what will be happening tomorrow. Explain what he will need to do and how he will need to act."

"Of course we will, Albus," Remus agreed.

"We will impress upon him the seriousness of this task and ensure that he will obey everything that we tell him to do," Severus added. He intended to make sure that Harry would not wander off by himself or attempt to do anything alone like the boy was often prone to doing.

Dumbledore smiled in response.

"I know that you will. I need to head back to Hogwarts and take care of some business, but I will see you again tomorrow."

When Remus and Severus walked into the hallway, they could hear soft, indistinct voices drifting down the stairs. It appeared that the children were somewhere on the next floor.

It didn't take long to find the correct room. Opening the door, Severus quickly scanned the area. Upon spotting Harry, he walked over and stood in front of the boy.

"The Order has made a decision, Mr. Potter. You will be allowed to accompany Lupin, Tonks, and myself to Diagon Alley."

A brief moment of happiness flared through Harry until he realized that Snape had not included his friends in the announcement.

"What about Ron and Hermione?" he asked while looking between his friends and Snape.

"They will not be allowed to come."

"Why not?" Harry demanded. "They helped find the information that the Order needed just as much as I did."

Not wanting an argument to occur, Remus stepped in.

"Albus wants to keep our search group small and inconspicuous. The four of us will be splitting up when we reach Diagon Alley. You will, however, be staying by my side the whole time. Severus and Tonks will meet us at Gringotts."

"In order to accompany us," Snape interrupted, "you must agree to abide by certain rules."

"What rules?" Harry warily asked.

"You must listen to either Lupin, Tonks, or myself at all times. If we tell you to do something, then you must do it without question. We are there to help guarantee your safety, and we cannot do that if you are stubborn and disobedient."

Severus ignored the warning glare that Lupin was tossing him. He was unwilling to let Harry anywhere near Diagon Alley without hearing the boy swear his complete obedience first. He didn't care if Lupin though he was being too brisk or harsh.

"I promise," Harry sincerely answered. "I'll listen to all of you."

Harry was disappointed that Ron and Hermione would not be able to come with them; however, he was willing to say or do whatever it took in order to be allowed to go. It would be exciting looking through his parents' vault and possessions.

"Very well. I will hold you to that," Snape said with a vague threat.

"We will be leaving tomorrow after breakfast," Remus added. "Please be ready to leave immediately, and be sure to bring your wand. We do not expect anything to happen to us, but it would be best to be prepared."

When Remus and Snape had finally left the room, Harry turned nervously to look at his friends. He was unsure how they would respond to the fact that he was leaving tomorrow without them.

"Are you mad at me?" Harry asked as he kept an especially close eye on Ron.

"Of course not, Harry," Hermione reassured him. "Dumbledore was the one who made the decision, not you. Besides, if anyone should be allowed to go, it should be you. The vault did belong to your parents, so technically everything inside is now legally yours."

"I wish we could go," Ron answered, "but you will tell us everything that happens, right?"

"Yeah," Harry quickly responded, glad that it had turned out so well.

xXxXxXxXx

"Can we go there now?" Harry quietly asked, slightly impatient.

Time seemed to be dragging all morning. Harry felt like they had been in every single store between the Leaky Cauldron and Gringotts, and now he just wanted to reach their ultimate destination. It had been interesting looking in the Quidditch store, but that was the only store in which his interest had lasted longer than five minutes.

He and Remus had been entering store after store for over an hour. Harry had not seen anyone that he knew, and he was grateful for that. It was hard enough trying to act normal and innocent without having to lie to people that he knew.

Harry had spotted Snape only once during the "shopping trip." The man had been leaving Ollivander's, and Harry had seen the professor pocketing the brand new wand. Trying to keep his eyes averted from the man even though they had not been close to each other, Harry still knew that Snape had seen them. The Potions Master had only swept his eyes in their general direction, though, without pausing.

Even though he had only seen Snape once, he had spotted Tonks several times. It seemed like every single time that he and Remus left a store, Tonks was always nearby. She never said anything to them, but she was always purposefully and carefully scanning the area.

Looking at Remus for an answer, Harry saw the amused smile on the man's face.

"Yes, Harry. We are headed there right now."

"Good," Harry sighed, relieved.

Remus chuckled at Harry's response.

"I have the key to the vault. Once we hand the key over to a goblin, they will meet us there," Remus explained. He decided it would be best to let Harry know what would be happening very soon. "I don't know how long it will take us to look through the vault. There is a lot of stuff down there."

Harry listened as they walked along the street. No one paid them much attention as they slowly made their way towards the bank.

"No matter what we do or do not find down there, we will still split up again before we leave the bank," Remus continued. "We will head back to the Leaky Cauldron and then return to the house."

As they entered Gringotts, Harry followed behind Remus as the man walked over to the counter, pulled a key out of his pocket, and placed it in front of the goblin. The goblin did not ask them any questions. He merely picked up the key and then gestured for Harry and Remus to follow him to a waiting cart.

Intent on finally reaching their destination, Harry jumped when he felt a hand fall on his shoulder. He instinctively reached into his pocket and fingered his wand while turning to face the person behind him.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief when he only found himself face to face with the Potions Master. Unclenching his wand, Harry brought his hand out of his pocket and forced his body to relax.

Snape raised an eyebrow at Harry's actions.

"You need to be a little more aware of your surroundings, Potter," Snape said. "I could have been someone who meant you harm."

Not really knowing how to answer, Harry only huffed in response. Turing his head away in embarrassment, he noticed that Tonks had also arrived.

"They're with us."

Remus's quietly spoken words caused Harry to look over and see the man talking to the goblin while indicating the two new arrivals.

The goblin took everything in stride without even changing his expression.

"Everyone step into the cart," the goblin ordered.

Harry's hands shook slightly as he grabbed onto the cart and hauled himself in. He had discovered a lot about his parents this summer by visiting their house and grave in Godric's Hollow and by reading his mother's diary. Now, he felt like he was going to be even closer to them. There had not been a lot left in the house when he had visited it. By looking inside their vault, he would be able to learn a little bit more about them and about the kind of people they were.

Looking up, Harry noticed that Snape was sitting directly across from him, their knees barely touching in the confined space of the cart. The man must have been able to read some of the emotions on his face because Snape briefly touched Harry's knee with one hand before pulling away.

The cart shot off into the darkness. The wind whipped through his hair, and Harry lifted his face into the cool breeze while closing his eyes. The air felt really good after walking around outside in the heat.

It didn't seem to take long before Harry realized the cart was slowing down. As it came to a stop, Harry patiently waited for everyone to step out. He stood to the side and watched as the goblin inserted the key into the vault.

Craning his neck, Harry looked around the door as it opened. The vault lit up and showed the stacks upon stacks of boxes. Some of the boxes were labeled, but many of them only contained the word 'Miscellaneous.'

"We may be a while," Remus explained to the goblin.

"I will wait out here," the goblin replied while closing the vault door slightly for privacy.

"It would be best if we each split up," Remus said once they were alone. "We all know what we are looking for, so if you think that you find it, please alert everyone else."

Tonks and Snape both nodded in agreement before walking away. Harry had only been paying a little bit of attention, so there was a moment of hesitation before he went in the same direction as Remus. His hands were itching to begin opening up boxes and searching through them.

The first box that he approached was labeled 'Silverware.' Harry was about to move on to another box, but Remus's words stopped him.

"I don't think that any of the boxes were mislabeled or that anything was put into the wrong box, but it would be best to check anyway. The Headmaster and I packed everything up not long after Lily and James died; however, I was still upset at the time. It is likely that I could have made a mistake."

Harry indicated that he understood as he pulled the box towards him and opened the flaps.

"When I was at my parents' house a few weeks ago, I noticed that all of the furniture was still in the house. Why isn't that stuff here too?" Harry asked while casually looking through the forks, spoons, and knives.

"At the time, I was more concerned with preserving their personal possessions. Once we had finished with that, I never really wanted to go back, so the furniture stayed in the house," Remus answered honestly.

Harry could understand that. It had been interesting being in the house, but he probably wouldn't want to spend a lot of time there. Besides, James and Lily had been Remus's best friends, so the house and their belongings would hold more memories for Remus than they would for him.

The next box that Harry grabbed was labeled 'Dishes.' When he opened the box, he saw that the plates were very nice and fancy. He pulled out one of the white delicate plates and noticed the intricate silver decoration lining the edge.

"Those were a wedding present from your grandparents," Remus said. He smiled in remembrance. "Your grandparents were so proud of Lily, and they absolutely loved James."

Having a new appreciation for the dishes, Harry carefully placed the plate back into the box. It only took a cursory glance through the rest of the items to realize that the necklace wasn't in the box.

Moving on to the next one, Harry found various knick knacks inside. After moving a few items and looking through the box, Harry saw a small, sleek wooden chest hidden in the bottom. Curious, Harry pulled it out and held it in front of him. There was a golden latch on the front, and Harry was glad when he discovered that it wasn't locked.

Inside the chest, he found four porcelain figurines which were very familiar. There was a dark, black dog, a majestic, brown stag, a small, gray rat, and a fierce looking wolf. Glancing up, Harry caught Remus's sad eyes.

"I almost didn't put the dog figure in the chest when I was packing everything up. Of course at the time, I thought that Sirius was guilty."

"So, why did you keep it?" Harry asked.

"I guess that I just packed it up for sentimentality reasons. Sirius was one of my best friends, and I didn't want to believe that he was truly guilty. It was only over the years that my feelings towards him hardened."

Reluctantly placing the figures back into the chest, Harry began to put it back into the box. His hands froze when he heard Remus's next words.

"If there is anything down here that you would like to take back with you, then you may certainly do so."

Harry gave Remus a brief smile as he placed the chest to the side. This would be his pile for things to keep.

Energy still high, Harry continued searching through the multitude of boxes. After a few more minutes, he noticed that Remus had placed some items to the side just like he had.

Noticing the questioning look on Harry's face, Remus explained.

"Some photograph albums. I thought that we might be able to look through them later."

Harry wanted to immediately grab the albums and flip through the pictures, but he forced himself to ignore those urges.

Remus gave him a knowing look.

"Later. I promise. We still have a lot to do right now."

"And it would go a look quicker, Lupin, if you didn't give us commentary on everything," Snape grumpily interrupted.

Harry looked over in surprise. He had almost forgotten that he and Remus were not the only people in the room. Tonks continued to look through the boxes near her, but Snape was gazing in his direction and the professor didn't look happy. Harry guessed that Snape wasn't enjoying spending his time immersed in the personal life of his school enemy James Potter.

Ignoring Snape's words, Remus continued to tell Harry about the items that they both found in the boxes. Harry found some of his parents' favorite books, and he got to see their notes in the margins of them. Harry saw a quilt which had been made by his maternal great-grandmother. James and Lily's marriage certificate and Harry's birth certificate were found on the top of a pile of papers. Remus pulled out some of Harry's baby clothes at one point and had some fun teasing Harry about them.

Harry wasn't sure how long they had been in the vault, but it didn't seem like it had been long at all. He was slightly disappointed when he realized that the four of them had finished searching through all of the boxes. Since he had only gotten to see the items in his and Remus's boxes, Harry vowed to himself that he would get someone to bring him back another day so that he could see what else was in the vault.

Meeting in the middle of the room, Harry, Tonks, Remus, and Snape looked at each other.

"Nothing?" Harry asked, disappointed.

Remus and Snape shook their heads.

"I found a couple boxes of jewelry," Tonks said, "but I didn't find anything that fit the description of what we were looking for."

"I think that you and your friends may have been right about the necklace once belonging to Salazar Slytherin, Harry," Snape added, "but maybe your mother never did own it."

Harry didn't want to believe that.

"Just because the necklace isn't in here doesn't mean that my mum didn't have it. Maybe the necklace is still in their house somewhere."

"Wouldn't Lupin have boxed it up, then?" Snape asked.

"Not necessarily," Harry answered. "I found my mother's diary hidden in the house, so she could have hidden the necklace too."

Snape and Tonks turned to Remus.

Shrugging, the man replied, "I suppose that it could be possible."

After a moment of silence, the Potions Master spoke.

"We should leave now. We have been down here long enough. There will be another Order meeting tonight, so we can tell Albus about our findings then. During the meeting, we can discuss what our next move shall be and whether we shall go to Godric's Hollow or not."

Seeing that they were getting prepared to exit the vault, Harry grabbed the items which he had set aside to bring with him. Even though they had not found the necklace, he was not leaving empty handed. He had found some important items of his parents, and they even had an idea of where the necklace might be. Leaving the vault, Harry felt happy enough that he found himself smiling and humming quietly under his breath.


	29. Chapter 29

Last chapter:

_After a moment of silence, the Potions Master spoke._

"_We should leave now. We have been down here long enough. There will be another Order meeting tonight, so we can tell Albus about our findings then. During the meeting, we can discuss what our next move shall be and whether we shall go to Godric's Hollow or not."_

_Seeing that they were getting prepared to exit the vault, Harry grabbed the items which he had set aside to bring with him. Even though they had not found the necklace, he was not leaving empty handed. He had found some important items of his parents, and they even had an idea of where the necklace might be. Leaving the vault, Harry felt happy enough that he found himself smiling and humming quietly under his breath._

_xXxXxXxX_

Upon re-entering the house, Ron and Hermione immediately rushed over. They must have been waiting nearby in order to hear the news.

"Well, did you find it?" Ron impatiently asked.

"No, Mr. Weasely, we did not," Snape replied.

Ron's face fell slightly at the news. Hermione, however, noticed that Harry didn't look too upset.

"Let's go upstairs," Hermione suggested.

Since Snape, Remus, and Tonks were leaving the hallway, Harry figured that it was okay for him to go with Ron and Hermione. He didn't know if he would be allowed to attend the Order meeting tonight; however, he hoped that he would be given permission to go back to Godric's Hollow if Dumbledore allowed the Order to search there.

Shutting the door to his and Ron's room, Harry sat on his bed while his friends sat across from him.

"What happened?" Hermione inquired.

"Like Snape said, it wasn't there. I think that it might still be in my parent's house. It could be hidden like my mother's diary was," Harry explained.

"Why would she have hidden the necklace?" Ron asked. "She didn't know the true story behind the necklace: who it belonged to and the power inside it."

"Just because she didn't know those things doesn't mean the necklace wasn't special to her," Hermione huffed. It was just like a male not to understand the sentimentality that females placed on things like jewelry. "The necklace had been a family heirloom, so it was valuable to her."

"I guess at the Order meeting tonight they will decide whether or not to search my parent's house. Where could she have hidden it?" Harry mused, the last part more of a rhetorical question.

"Hopefully it won't take long to search through the house since a lot of their things have been moved to the vault at Gringotts," Hermione reasoned. "Of course, it could be hidden any where inside the house. Lily was a witch, so she could have created a secret place in a wall or under the floor."

Noticing that Harry still had some items clutched in his hands, Ron asked, "What's all that?"

Harry looked down and forced his hands to loosen their hold. Standing up, he walked over and laid the items down on a dresser.

"These are just some of my parent's things that I found and decided to bring back," Harry answered. "Remus brought some stuff back too."

"That's great, Harry," Hermione enthusiastically said.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "So, what have you guys done this morning?"

"Mum made us help clean some of the rooms in the house like she did last summer. I think she just wanted to take her mind off things. She was worried about you the whole time that you were gone," Ron answered.

"I was with three Order members. They weren't going to let anything happen to me," Harry confidently said.

"Yeah, I know," Ron responded, "but you know how Mum is."

"Ron, Harry, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley's voice carried up the stairs. "Lunch is ready."

The three of them stood up and walked towards the hallway. Mrs. Weasley was standing at the bottom of the stairs, and she looked relieved upon seeing Harry.

As soon as Harry was near her, Mrs. Weasley pulled Harry into a quick hug.

"I'm glad that you had a safe trip this morning, dear. I know you must be hungry. Come, come."

Steering Harry into the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley led Harry to a place at the table. Most of the dishes were already on the table, so it only took a few moments for everything to be finished. Once everyone was seated, they started digging in. Harry noticed that Snape and Remus were absent, so he guessed that they must be informing Dumbledore about their morning.

"Did you buy anything in Diagon Alley?" Ginny asked as she looked at Harry.

"No, I was too anxious about going to Gringotts. I heard that you guys had to clean today."

"Don't remind me," Ginny groaned. "My back is killing me."

"Are you done for the day, or does your mum have more stuff for us to do?" Harry asked.

"I think we're done, but we should probably still make ourselves scarce once lunch is over," Ron said.

As soon as everyone finished eating and had helped to clean off the table, Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed back upstairs. Harry stopped by his bedroom first in order to grab the chessboard. Before he could begin looking for it, however, he spotted some items on his bed. Taking a few steps forward, recognition flooded through him. Remus must have stopped by his bedroom and left some of his parent's things that Remus had taken from their vault. Harry wanted to look over everything, but Ron's voice in the hallway told him to hurry up. After sparing the items one more glance, Harry got what he came for and left the room.

xXxXxXxXx

Snape and Remus arrived at the house towards the end of dinner. Harry wanted a moment to talk to them, but Mrs. Weasley shooed them out of the kitchen as soon as dinner was over.

"The Order meeting will be starting soon. I want you children to go find something to do while the meeting is taking place. No eavesdropping," Mrs. Weasley sternly added. Her glare encompassed the whole group in front of her, but her gaze lingered longest on the twins. Fred and George just innocently stared back with a 'Who me?' look on their faces. Narrowing her eyes slightly, Mrs. Weasley huffed before turning around and re-entering the kitchen.

"Well, I can take a hint. I know when we're not wanted," Fred said, acting hurt.

"We have some new joke products that you four can try now, if you want to," George said as he looked at Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

The group started following Fred and George up the stairs. Harry stopped, though, when he reached his bedroom. When Ron and Hermione realized that he was no longer with them, they quit walking and looked back questioningly.

"You guys go on ahead. There's something that I want to do," was all that Harry would say.

"If you're going to listen to the meeting," Ron immediately said, "then I want to hear it too."

"No, that's not it," Harry answered.

Hermione noticed the serious look on his face, so she took Ron's arm and led him away. Harry was grateful that they hadn't asked too many questions. It wasn't a big deal, but he wanted to spend some time looking through the items that he and Remus had found at Gringott's. After grabbing the items from his bedroom, Harry walked back downstairs and entered the sitting room. Walking over to a sofa, Harry curled up on the cushions. Harry leaned over slightly and pulled the coffee table towards him so that he could place everything on top of it.

Remus had said that he would look through the photo albums with Harry, but Harry didn't know when Remus would have some free time. They could always look through the albums again later. Harry bet that Remus had some good stories to go along with the photos.

Harry didn't know how long he had been sitting on the couch looking at everything; however, he was aware when the door opened behind him and someone entered the room. His parent's marriage certificate was sitting in his lap. Their names were slightly raised on the thick parchment, and Harry was lightly running his fingers over the letters. From the corner of his eye, Harry saw Snape come around the couch and sit down next to him.

Without lifting his head, Harry asked, "What did the Order decide?"

"We will be searching your parent's house in Godric's Hollow, and you will be allowed to accompany us. We will not, however, be leaving for at least another week."

That caused Harry's hand to still and his head to turn.

"Why so long?"

"Diagon Alley and Gringott's are more secure areas than the house in Godric's Hollow. Diagon Alley has hundreds of witches and wizards inside it at various times, and Aurors and other Ministry officials can be quickly notified to appear in the case of an emergency. Godric's Hollow does not have the same security. We want to make sure that no Death Eaters are stationed around the area. I know that the Dark Lord has no reason to suspect that the necklace could be there; however, the house did belong to your parents, and we want to ensure that he does not have the house watched."

"I guess with me involved you have to take every possible precaution," Harry said with only a hint of bitterness. He would be glad when the day arrived that he didn't have to worry about Death Eaters or Voldemort.

"Yes," the professor seriously responded.

"Fine," Harry answered as he placed the piece of parchment on the table.

The Potion's Master glanced at the items on the table before looking back at Harry. Harry noticed how stiffly the man was sitting and how uncomfortable the professor seemed.

Clearing his throat, Snape reached into his pocket and pulled something out. After unwrapping the package, he briskly pushed it into Harry's hands. Surprised, Harry looked down. In his hands, he saw more photo albums, a few of his parent's Hogwarts textbooks, and a baby book. Flipping through the pages of the baby book, he saw dates written down for when he had apparently hit milestones, such as learning to crawl and learning to walk. On one page, Harry even saw that his first word had been "Daddy."

A gruff voice interrupted him.

"I saw these in the boxes that I was looking through," Snape explained. "I thought that you might like them."

Carefully setting the items on the table with the rest of his parent's possessions, Harry smiled. He impulsively turned and grabbed the professor in a tight hug.

"Thank you."

The professor was stunned at Harry's actions, but he didn't hesitate in placing a hand on the back of Harry's neck.

"Your welcome."

Harry pulled away a few seconds later.

"You should go to bed," the professor said. "It's getting late."

After taking a quick look at the clock, Harry was a bit shocked to see the time. Standing up, he gathered the items back into his arms. Snape followed Harry out of the room as Harry started towards the stairs. With a foot on the first step, Harry glanced over his shoulder.

"Good night," he called before ascending the steps.

Harry heard Snape quiet response just as he reached the top. When he opened the bedroom door, Harry saw that Ron was sprawled under the covers and already lightly snoring. It didn't take long for Harry to set the items down on the dresser and to put on his pajamas.

Despite the late hour, Harry had difficulty falling asleep. It had been a long day, but Harry felt a bit saddened and overwhelmed upon going through all of his parent's things both at Gringott's and then in the sitting room. Plus, he would have to return to Godric's Hollow within a week.

As he tossed and turned in bed, Harry kept seeing his family's pictures in his mind. The photo albums had contained several wonderful pictures; however, they only made Harry realize what he had missed over the years. One picture showed a laughing baby Harry who had apparently had more fun painting his face with mashed peas and carrots rather than eating them. Another picture showed baby Harry, thumb in mouth, sleeping in Sirius's lap as Sirius himself also took a nap. Standing over them, James had an evil grin as he drew pictures on Sirius's face with black ink.

It was at least another hour before Harry fell into a restless sleep. In his dreams, he saw his mother wearing Slytherin's necklace. She was dancing merrily in James's arms; the two of them talking and smiling. A loud bang sounded throughout the room as Voldemort suddenly entered. With a wave of Voldemort's wand, James soared across the room before vanishing in the air. Lily stood helplessly as Voldemort cockily sauntered towards her. Reaching out his hand, he ripped the necklace from her slender neck. As soon as the necklace was in his grasp, the room dimmed and Lily slumped soundlessly to the floor. Lightning flickered outside of the window. A smirk filled Voldemort's face as he stared hungrily at the necklace in his palm. Power surged around him…

Harry started up in the bed as a hand firmly grasped his shoulder and shook him. Opening his eyes, Harry saw Snape in a chair next to the bed.

"Are you okay?" Snape asked.

"Yeah," Harry answered as he leaned back into his pillows.

"I was passing through the hall when I heard muttering in here. When I came inside, I realized that you were having a nightmare. What were you dreaming about?" Snape questioned.

"Something about my mum wearing the necklace and Voldemort taking it from her. I don't know," Harry said as he rubbed his eyes. "The dream is kind of fuzzy."

"Did you clear your mind before you went to sleep?"

"No," Harry replied. Ever since Snape had taught him some Occlumency techniques while they had been trapped in Snape's house, Harry had been practicing them before going to bed each night. Harry confessed, "I had a lot on my mind."

"Understandable," the professor answered. "Why don't you try to do so now? You need some undisturbed rest. I will stay here until you have gone back to sleep."

"Okay," Harry said without arguing. His eyes were already drooping, and he knew that it wouldn't take long this time for sleep to come.

As he worked on clearing his mind, Harry felt a hand hesitantly settle on his hair. A few moment's later, the hand brushed the fringe away from his forehead. The gentle movements felt good, and Harry found his thoughts slipping away as he slept again.

xXxXxXxXx

A/N: Sorry it's been so long, but at least the semester is over with. The next semester will be more hectic, though, as I begin student teaching. I've already started the next chapter, so hopefully I can get it done soon.

Next chapter: Harry's (long awaited) answer to Snape's offer of guardianship.


	30. Chapter 30

Last chapter:

"_Did you clear your mind before you went to sleep?" _

"_No," Harry replied. Ever since Snape had taught him some Occlumency techniques while they had been trapped in Snape's house, Harry had been practicing them before going to bed each night. Harry confessed, "I had a lot on my mind."_

"_Understandable," the professor answered. "Why don't you try to do so now? You need some undisturbed sleep. I will stay here until you have gone back to sleep."_

"_Okay," Harry said without arguing. His eyes were all ready drooping, and he knew that it wouldn't take long this time for sleep to come._

_As he worked on clearing his mind, Harry felt a hand hesitantly settle on his hair. A few moment's later, the hand brushed the fringe away from his forehead. The gentle movements felt good, and Harry found his thoughts slipping away as he slept again._

xXxXxXxXx

The next three days passed quickly. Remus and Snape were scarcely seen around the house. They were busy making preparations for the Order to search the house at Godric's Hollow. Order members sometimes dropped by Grimmauld Place to confer with each other and make plans. Other than that, the house was fairly quiet. Fred and George were busy with their joke shop. Mrs. Weasley had kept Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry occupied with cleaning one room each day. The work was easy to Harry, who was used to endless chores at the Dursley's house, so he didn't mind having something to do.

Since the house was so quiet, Harry had some time to think. It had been about six days since Snape had offered to take guardianship of him. Harry hadn't seen much of the man since the professor had helped him go back to sleep after his nightmare; therefore, Snape hadn't had time to bring up the offer again. The professor had told him that he could think about it for a few days, so Harry did precisely that. The longer and harder that he thought about it, the more sure he was that he was reaching the right decision.

Things had changed dramatically between them in the past few weeks. Harry felt like he could talk to the man about anything. He had come to care about his professor, and he knew that Snape cared about him too (even if the man would probably never admit it to anyone). Harry was pretty sure that he knew what answer he was going to give the man, but he was just waiting for the right time to do it.

Walking towards the kitchen that morning, Harry lifted his hand and briefly rubbed his temple. For the past few days, he had had a headache off and on. The headaches never lasted very long, and they weren't extremely painful; they were more of a nuisance than anything. Harry forgot about his headache, though, as he neared the kitchen and heard people talking inside.

"Do you think that he suspects anything?" Ron asked.

"I don't think so," Hermione responded. "He hasn't mentioned anything about…"

The talking stopped when Harry entered the room. He lifted his eyebrows at the stillness that occurred for a few seconds before everyone continued doing what they had been doing before he walked in.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed. "How are you?"

"Good," Harry slowly answered. Everyone was acting weird, and Harry couldn't figure out what was going on. The Weasleys were setting the table for breakfast, but every now and then, someone would glance in his direction before hurriedly looking away.

Heading towards the counter, Harry started to pick up some plates to set on the table. Before he could grab them, however, he was intercepted by Mrs. Weasley.

"I've got this, dear. Why don't you just sit down?"

"Okay," Harry replied.

Normally Mrs. Weasley welcomed his assistance when fixing meals. Harry looked on a little bewildered as Mrs. Weasley thrust the plates into Ron's hands instead. Not sure what to do with himself, Harry went over and sat down. He felt strange just sitting down doing nothing while everyone else was busy getting breakfast ready.

"What's going on?" Harry quietly asked once Ron and Hermione sat down on either side of him. Everyone was seated at the table and talking while filling their plates.

"What makes you think that anything is going on?" Hermione asked.

Harry carefully studied Hermione's quizzical face.

"Never mind," he finally said as he looked down and began eating.

He missed the quick triumphant look that flashed between Ron and Hermione.

As soon as breakfast ended, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny dragged him upstairs. He didn't know what the deal was with everyone, but he was willing to play along. Hermione had badgered them into doing some of their homework during the past few days, so Harry was surprised when Hermione wanted to do something else today.

"You didn't get to see Fred and George's products last night, Harry. Would you like to see some now?" Hermione asked. "They left some here for you."

Harry immediately agreed.

"Sure."

The four of them had a lot of fun passing the morning by trying out the different products. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny knew what each of the products did, so Harry made sure that they warned him about what would happen before he stuck anything in his mouth or pulled the trigger on anything.

After popping one piece of candy in his mouth, it didn't look like the candy had done anything until Ron turned off the light. Amazed, Harry looked at his skin which was glowing a light green in the dark. Another piece of candy made Harry feel as light as air. As he bounced around the room, he wondered if this is what it would feel like to be on the moon. Hermione explained that the product lessened the effect of gravity for a few minutes. A big grin broke across his face when he succeeded in turning a slow flip in mid-air.

"Your brothers are geniuses," Harry told Ron and Ginny when they finally headed downstairs for lunch.

"Don't tell them that," Ginny warned. "They already have big enough heads."

Entering the kitchen, Harry paid special attention to everyone again. He noticed that things seemed more normal than they had at breakfast, but he still felt like something was off. When lunch was over, Harry found himself being herded back upstairs.

"Where are you going, Harry?" Ron asked a few hours later.

They had been relaxing on the floor and playing Exploding Snap. Hermione and Ginny were sitting on a couch nearby and talking. Stretching, Harry had just gotten up and was about to leave the room. As he looked back, Harry saw that Ron had half risen from the floor, and Hermione and Ginny had stopped talking.

"I was just going to the bathroom," Harry explained, a little embarrassed by the sudden attention. "I'll be right back."

Without waiting for another interruption, Harry left the room. The bathroom was just down the hall, and it only took a few minutes for him to finish his business. Opening the door, Harry started to walk down the hall towards the stairs.

"Oi," Ron said. "Where are you going now?"

Startled, Harry looked back and saw Ron leaning against the door frame of the room in which they had been playing.

"I'm thirsty," Harry replied. "We can finish our game when I get back."

Ron rushed down the hall and grabbed Harry's arm.

"I was just thinking about getting something to eat. Why don't you go sit back down? I'll get us something from the kitchen," Ron offered as he tried to pull Harry away from the stairs.

Planting his heels firmly on the ground, Harry asked again, "What is going on? Everyone has been acting strangely all day."

Mrs. Weasley suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs and looked up.

"Oh, good. There you are. Could you get the girls and tell them to come downstairs for dinner?"

Harry looked suspiciously at Ron when he noticed the relieved look on his friend's face.

"Come on," Ron said. "Let's get Ginny and Hermione."

When they re-entered the room, the girls were already standing up and walking towards the door.

"We heard," Ginny explained.

Somehow, Harry found himself being pushed to the front of the group. He started to turn around but was halted by Ron.

"Go on," Ron said. "We don't want to keep everyone waiting."

Huffing in exasperation and shrugging his shoulders, Harry started walking down the hall. At the bottom of the stairs, he headed for the kitchen. Pushing open the door, Harry immediately stopped in the doorway.

Miniature fireworks exploded in the air, bright lights flashing and loud bangs echoing. Balloons hovered in the air, while streamers and confetti fell from the ceiling. The table bowed slightly under the weight of the food and presents placed on top of it. People standing shoulder to shoulder crowded the kitchen.

"Happy birthday, Harry," everyone shouted as Harry continued to stand stunned and dazed in the doorway.

"Well, don't just stand there, Harry," Ginny said. "Go join your party."

"I told you that he didn't suspect anything," Hermione smugly told Ron.

Harry slowly walked into the room and tried to take everything in. He couldn't believe that this was what everyone had been hiding from him all day. He also couldn't believe that he had forgotten that today was his birthday. This was the first time that he hadn't had to celebrate his birthday alone at the Dursleys. When he had been at his relative's house, his birthday was one of the few things that he had to look forward to. Usually he counted down the days until his birthday and stayed up until midnight to get his presents, but now that he was with his friends, he hadn't even given a thought to his birthday. He had been too busy with everything else that had been going on.

Not sure what to do, Harry said, "Thank you. This is…amazing."

Mrs. Weasley came over and gently gripped Harry's elbow. Leading him to the head seat of the table, she gestured for him to sit. On his left, Ron and Hermione took a seat, while Remus had the chair on his right. Mrs. Weasley bustled around, making sure that everything was in place and perfect. Tonks was amusing Fred, George, and Ginny with tales of her days at Hogwarts. There were a few more Order members present, but Harry felt slightly disappointed when he noticed that Snape wasn't in the room.

"Try some more potatoes, Harry," Mrs. Weasley urged, as she nudged the bowl in Harry's direction. Even though he still had a few potatoes on his plate, Harry went ahead and spooned some more out of the bowl in order to make her happy.

"Do you know where Professor Snape is?" Harry asked, trying to sound casual but not succeeding.

"I don't know," Remus answered. "He has been busy with Order business lately."

Mrs. Weasley's gave Harry a sympathetic look. "I'm sure that he will be here soon, dear. He knew that the party was tonight."

Nodding, Harry turned back to his friends. "I'm surprised that you guys were able to keep this a secret all day. I knew that there was something that everyone wasn't telling me, but I never would have guessed this."

"Well, it wasn't easy," Ron said. "I was afraid that you would come downstairs too soon and see the decorations."

"Who did all this?" Harry asked, as he looked around again, admiring the effort that had been expended on his behalf.

"Mrs. Weasley recruited several people to help her. She just asked us to keep you busy," Hermione explained.

Harry had a great time eating the meal and talking with his friends. When everyone was full and the dishes had been removed from the table, Harry watched as a large cake floated into the room. The cake was two layers tall with a replica Quidditch pitch on top and a bright Golden Snitch sitting in the middle. Sixteen candles instantly lit up as the cake was placed in front of him.

A wide smile filled Harry's face as everyone began singing "Happy Birthday." This was the best day that he had had in a while, Harry thought as he puffed up his cheeks and blew out the candles in one hard breath.

The cake was quickly cut and distributed. It tasted so good that Harry couldn't stop himself from taking another piece. By the time that presents were ready to be opened, Harry thought that his stomach would pop.

The kitchen door quietly opened behind him, so Harry didn't hear it over the noise in the room; however, he noticed when several people glanced in that direction. Turning around, Harry grinned when he saw Snape standing stiffly and awkwardly near the door.

"I apologize for my tardiness," the professor said as he walked over to a spot that was out of the way. When Harry caught Snape's eye, the man nodded in his direction, and Harry thought that he saw the man's lips quirk upward briefly.

Harry wanted to go over and talk to his professor, but a present was abruptly shoved into his hands.

"Here. Open mine."

The next several minutes were spent unwrapping gift after gift. He found himself bombarded with new clothes, books, Quidditch posters, and a pair of Quidditch gloves. He received wizarding candy as well as joke products from Fred and George's shop.

Standing up once all the gifts were open, Harry addressed the group.

"Thank you for the presents. This has been a great party, and I'm glad that you could all be here."

Finished, Harry began gathering the used and torn wrapping paper and the boxes and bags that littered the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley told him not to bother, but he insisted that since everyone had gone to so much trouble to throw him the party that it was the least that he could do. Everyone pitched in to clean the kitchen up, and by the time that the area was clean, people began leaving. Harry wandered around the room and made sure to thank everyone one more time and to say goodbye to those who were going back to their house.

In the middle of talking to Remus, Harry looked over and saw that Snape was leaving the room. Harry still hadn't gotten a chance to talk to the man, so he quickly excused himself and then followed Snape out of the kitchen. The professor was relaxing in the living room by the time that Harry caught up to him.

"You didn't have to hurry away from your friends," Snape commented when he saw Harry.

"That's okay. The party was over anyway. Thanks for coming," Harry said. Remembering that the man hadn't been at the party until later in the evening, Harry curiously asked, "Why were you late?"

When Snape didn't answer right away, Harry immediately added, "I'm sorry. If it's none of my business…"

"No, that's fine," Snape interrupted. "My mark has been burning more lately. Albus and I believe that the Dark Lord is planning something, but we have no idea what."

Not wanting Harry to dwell on depressing thoughts on his birthday, Snape pulled something out of his pocket and enlarged it. Harry saw that the present was simply wrapped in plain green paper.

"Happy birthday," Snape said as he handed it over.

Opening the package, Harry pulled out an advanced book on Defensive magic. Interested, Harry opened to the table of contents and glanced through the spells.

"Thank you," Harry sincerely replied when he finally closed the book and looked back up.

"I thought that this might be useful to you this coming school year. If you decide to re-start that Defense club of yours, then you will need some new spells to teach them."

"It's great," Harry responded. "Although, I haven't thought about whether or not we will start the DA again. We only formed the group because Umbridge wasn't teaching us anything helpful and wouldn't let us use any magic in her class."

"From what I've heard, the students learned a lot from you."

The compliment made Harry feel warm inside. The two fell into a comfortable silence after Harry said thank you.

Setting the book on the table, Harry slowly turned his body so that he was facing towards his professor more. As he rubbed his now sweaty hands on his pant leg, Harry swallowed and then cleared his throat. Snape looked at him expectantly.

"I've been thinking about what you told me the other day," Harry said before continuing in a rush, "and I decided that I would like for you to be my guardian."

Harry waited to see what effect his words would have on the man. Nervousness went through him even though he knew that Snape wasn't likely to rescind the offer. A satisfied look swept across the Potion Master's face as he leaned back against the couch cushion.

"Are you positive?" Snape asked one last time. "I don't want you to feel pressured into making any kind of decision."

"I've thought about it for the last few days, and I'm sure," Harry answered, his voice sounding more confident.

"Very well," the professor replied. "There are a few things that we will have to do first, however. Before guardianship can be transferred to me, your relatives will have to be found unfit."

"That means a trial," Harry softly said as he looked away and bit his bottom lip.

"Yes," Snape bluntly responded. His abrupt answer was softened, though, when he briefly placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I know that you did not want to testify in court against your relatives…"

Harry looked back into Snape's eyes as he said, "I'll be ready."

Snape squeezed Harry's shoulder once before releasing him. Even though Harry hadn't been prepared to testify at the beginning of the summer, he had slowly changed his mind since then. Harry knew that he had the support and encouragement of his friends and professors, and he was ready for this whole thing to be over with. It was time for a new part of his life to begin.


	31. Chapter 31

Last chapter:

"_Are you positive?" Snape asked one last time. "I don't want you to feel pressured into making any kind of decision."_

"_I've thought about it for the last few days, and I'm sure," Harry answered, his voice sounding more confident._

"_Very well," the professor replied. "There are a few things that we will have to do first, however. Before guardianship can be transferred to me, your relatives will have to be found unfit."_

"_That means a trial," Harry softly said as he looked away and bit his bottom lip._

"_Yes," Snape bluntly responded. His abrupt answer was softened, though, when he briefly placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I know that you did not want to testify in court against your relatives…"_

_Harry looked back into Snape's eyes as he said, "I'll be ready."_

_Snape squeezed Harry's shoulder once before releasing him. Even though Harry hadn't been prepared to testify at the beginning of the summer, he had slowly changed his mind since then. Harry knew that he had the support and encouragement of his friends and professors, and he was ready for this whole thing to be over with. It was time for a new part of his life to begin._

* * *

After leaving Snape and going upstairs for the night, Harry walked into his bedroom. Ron and Hermione were sitting on the beds talking, but they stopped when they saw Harry enter with a grin on his face. Scooting over, Hermione let Harry sit down between them.

"What happened, Harry?" Ron asked.

"I said yes," Harry responded.

"Yes to what?"

"I told Snape yes," answered Harry.

Ron and Hermione immediately understood. Squealing, Hermione quickly grabbed Harry in a strong hug, while Ron slapped Harry on the back in congratulations. Harry was glad that his friends were so happy for him. Overall, it had been his best birthday ever.

"Hermione," Harry gasped, "I can't breathe."

Apologetically, Hermione instantly let go. "Sorry, I'm just so excited. Tell us everything that happened. What did you say? What did he say? How did he react?"

"Well," Harry began, "I found him after the party. He gave me my birthday present, and then I told him that I wanted him to be my guardian. When he asked me if I was sure, I said yes."

"So, now what happens?" asked Ron.

"We'll have to go to the Ministry, and I'll have to testify against the Dursleys. I don't know when that will happen, but I guess that Snape will tell Dumbledore about this soon."

The excitement in the room died down when the Dursleys were mentioned. Even though Harry had told them some of what had happened during the early part of the summer, Ron and Hermione knew that Harry had endured a lot more that what he had talked about. They had always known that the Dursleys were awful to Harry, but they never would have expected Harry's uncle to snap after all of these years.

"Are you okay with that?" Hermione asked.

"I wasn't in the beginning, but I'm okay with it now. I'm just ready for everything to settle down."

Ron looked seriously at Harry. "You know that we are here for you no matter what happens. If my mum will let us, we will be at the Ministry with you when you testify."

A rush of gratitude filled Harry. He loved his friends, and he knew that they would do anything for each other.

"I know."

* * *

The next morning at breakfast, Snape told Harry that they would be meeting with the Headmaster after the meal.

"I already informed him last night that you accepted my offer of guardianship. Today, we just want to go over the details about what will happen in the next few days and weeks."

Nodding in understanding, Harry swallowed his bite of toast. "Will Professor Dumbledore be coming here, or will we meet him at Hogwarts?"

"He will come here," Snape responded. He paused a moment before adding, "There will also be an Order meeting tomorrow night. Albus has decided that we will be going to your parents' house the day after that."

Harry's attention was immediately captured. Noticing that he had Harry's undivided attention, Snape dryly said, "I knew that would interest you."

Patiently, Harry waited to see what else the man would say. Setting his fork down, Harry leaned forward eagerly.

"Since you are going with us to the house, Albus has decided that you will be allowed to attend the Order meeting tomorrow night."

A broad grin split Harry's face. The grin didn't go away even when Snape continued to speak.

"Your friends will not be going with us to the house; therefore, they will not attend the meeting. If we tell you to keep something secret, you will not say anything to anyone, even to them."

"I promise," Harry quickly agreed.

Snape didn't stop despite Harry's interruption. "When we leave here to go to the house, you will follow every instruction and order that you are given. Your safety is our top priority."

Hearing the seriousness is the man's voice, Harry rapidly nodded. He wanted to go on this mission very badly, and he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize it.

"Very well. If you are done eating, we shall go to the study. Albus should be here soon."

Harry grabbed his dishes and carried them over to the sink. It only took a few minutes to clean the breakfast table. The rest of the household had eaten breakfast with Harry and Snape, but Mrs. Weasley had shooed them out of the room earlier when she realized that Snape wanted a minute alone with Harry.

Mrs. Weasley's dewy eyes had been Harry's only warning that morning when Harry had entered the kitchen. In the next moment, she had grabbed Harry into a big hug. The sniffles started soon afterward as Mrs. Weasley said, "We are so happy for you, dear. You and Severus deserve this very much."

Peeking in between Mrs. Weasley's arms, Harry spotted his professor already seated at the table. Harry stifled as grin as he wondered if Mrs. Weasley had given Snape the same greeting as she had given him.

Gently disentangling himself, Harry answered, "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

"What do you want for breakfast this morning, Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "This will be your special treat as a celebration."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Mrs. Weasley. We celebrated enough yesterday with my birthday. I don't want you to go to too much trouble."

"Nonsense," Mrs. Weasley replied as she shuffled Harry over to the table and settled him down next to Snape. "It's not every day that something like this happens."

Mrs. Weasley wouldn't start breakfast until after Harry had told her his wishes. Personally, Harry thought that it was all too much, but he was thrilled that someone cared enough about him to want to do this.

Harry smiled as he remembered Mrs. Weasley's exuberance. Following Snape into the study, Harry noticed that Dumbledore was already inside.

"Good morning, Harry."

"Good morning, Professor."

Harry and Snape sat down across from the Headmaster. Even though he was slightly nervous, Harry felt better when he saw the glance that Snape gave him.

"I hear that congratulations are in order," Dumbledore happily said. After hearing Harry's quiet thanks, he continued. "Now all that remains is to work out the specifics. Even though your uncle is still in Ministry custody, your aunt and cousin have been allowed to return to their home."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Your relatives had been in Ministry custody for over two weeks. They were questioned under Veritaserum, and they admitted to everything that has been done to you. Since your aunt and cousin did not actively participate in hurting you this summer, the Ministry has let them go back to Privet Drive."

Harry heard the dark undertone in Dumbledore's voice when the man said that Petunia and Dudley hadn't 'actively participated.' The Headmaster understood that even though his aunt and cousin hadn't hit him like his uncle, they had still allowed it to happen. They hadn't tried to help him; they despised Harry, and they had showed that hatred in many other ways.

Dumbledore wasn't finished. "Even though they are back home, they are still not entirely free. For the time being, they are only allowed out of the house within a few miles radius. If they try to leave that area, I hear that they experience a nasty shock."

Harry was glad that they weren't being dismissed in the role that they had played in his life growing up.

"And Uncle Vernon?" Harry eventually asked.

"You will still have to give the Ministry a statement. It will be done discreetly with only myself, Severus, and a few Ministry officials in attendance. We will wait until after we have visited your parents' house to do this. After you give your statement, it will be decided whether or not Severus will be an adequate guardian for you."

At those words, Harry felt a twisted feeling in his stomach. What if the Ministry decided that Snape wasn't a good guardian for him? The man had been a Death Eater with Voldemort for many years. Even though Snape had eventually become a spy, he had still had to commit atrocities in order to pretend to be on Voldemort's side. Also, people knew about the intense rivalry that had existed between his professor and the Potters. Snape had loathed James Potter in school, and he had carried that hatred down to his son. People might worry about how he would be treated by Snape if the man got guardianship of him.

Understanding Harry's concerns, Dumbledore immediately said, "The Ministry may have a few questions to ask both you and Severus, but I don't think that we will have too many problems. There are many people who will vouch for the both of you. You have many supporters."

The knot in his stomach slowly eased hearing Dumbledore's words and feeling Snape's hand gently touch his shoulder before going away.

* * *

At the Order meeting the next night, Harry was overwhelmed by the congratulations that everyone gave him as soon as he walked in. People kept coming over and shaking his hand or pulling him into a hug and saying how glad they were. Harry noticed that Snape was also receiving a lot of unwanted attention. The man had tried to separate himself from the group, but everyone ignored Snape's discomfort as they went over. Harry sighed with relief when Dumbledore called the meeting to start.

"As you all know, tomorrow is the mission to the Potter house. Our objective is to search the house and determine whether or not the necklace is inside. If the necklace is the same one that Voldemort is looking for, then we will need to take as many precautions as possible."

"Do you think that they are the same?" Harry heard someone say.

"I think that we need to explore all possibilities at this point. Remus, Minerva, Severus, Tonks, Arthur, Kinsley, and I will be going tomorrow. Harry will also be joining us."

Harry had expected some people to object to him joining the mission since he wasn't of age, but no one did, not even Mrs. Weasley. Maybe they thought that he had the right to go since they were going to his parents' house.

"There shouldn't be any problems, but I want everyone to be alert and ready," Dumbledore added. "Harry, I heard that your mother's diary was hidden in the house. Tell us where and how you found it."

"I was just exploring the house, and when I was closing a desk drawer, I heard a hollow sound. There was a hidden compartment behind a panel in the back of the drawer," Harry answered.

"We will make sure to check all of the furniture for hidden compartments, and we will need to check the walls and floors as well. Harry, I want you to stay by Professor Snape the whole time that we are there," Dumbledore seriously said. "If anything were to happen, Severus will ensure your safety."

Harry immediately agreed. He was allowed to stay a little while longer as more details were worked out. When the Headmaster asked Harry to leave, he left without a word of complaint.

Even though he knew that Ron and Hermione would be eager to know what had happened at the meeting, Harry wanted a few minutes to himself. Harry bypassed the stairs and went into the sitting room. Curling up on the couch, Harry relaxed into the cushions and stared into the fireplace. Tomorrow he would be going back to Godric's Hollow. Since he had been there once before, he knew that it would be easier to go back a second time. Plus, this time he would have the support of people around him who cared about him.

Harry hoped that things would go well tomorrow. He wasn't sure where the necklace could be located, but with the help of magic, it should be easier to find the necklace if it was in the house.

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting on the couch in the dark, but the next thing that Harry was aware of was Snape lighting a candle and sitting next to him.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Snape asked.

"I guess," Harry answered as he picked at a hole in his sock.

"We will be leaving after dark tomorrow. We don't want Muggles to see us entering or exiting the house since it is supposed to be abandoned. Hopefully it won't take more than an hour or two."

After a few seconds of silence, Harry said, "It was strange going there after all of these years. Everything was just so…abandoned. It was especially hard when I went into my nursery and knew that I was probably standing in the same spot where my mother was murdered."

Harry continued to stare straight forward. Absentmindedly, he rubbed at his tingling scar. Snape kept quiet and allowed Harry to talk.

"Did you know that when I'm around dementors I hear my parents being murdered? I was really confused when it first happened, and I didn't understand it. I thought that maybe Ron or Hermione had screamed."

"You won't be alone tomorrow," Snape finally said. "If it is too much for you, you don't have to come."

"No," Harry interrupted vehemently, a fire in his eyes as he turned to look at Snape directly for the first time. "I have to do this. If this necklace will help us to defeat Voldemort, then I want to find it. I know some people think that I'm deluding myself by believing that they are the same necklace, but I just have a strong feeling that I'm right."

A strong pain developed in Harry's head. Grimacing, Harry planted his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands, and gripped his hair with his fingers. Immediately Snape was kneeling in front of him and trying to get Harry to release his hair without pulling any of it out.

"Harry, you need to remember what we talked about. You need to concentrate on your image of flying. Take deep breaths and calm yourself down."

Harry wanted to do what his professor was coaxing him to do, but the pain was increasing with each second. He didn't think that he had ever felt such pain before. A dribble of blood started to come out of Harry's nose, but he didn't even notice as a loud groan escaped his mouth.

"Potter!" the professor's voice snapped. "You can do better than this."

Despite the stern voice, Snape's strong grip on his wrists let Harry feel the desperation that the Potion's Master felt. Snape managed to disentangle Harry's hands from his hair, but Harry only slumped down onto his side, drew his legs onto the couch, and buried his face into them.

"Potter, you have to fight back!"

The professor's words were the last thing that Harry heard before his vision blacked out.


	32. Chapter 32

Flinching, Harry turned his face away from the hand that was lightly slapping his cheek. The insistent hand gripped his chin and gently pulled his head out from between the cushions.

"Wake up, Harry. You've been unconscious long enough."

Eyes fluttering open, it took Harry's eyes a moment to adjust. His blurry vision cleared up just as he realized that Professor Snape was next to him. Dull pain throbbed continuously through his head.

"What happened?" Harry groggily asked.

"Your scar started hurting, and you were unable to block the Dark Lord. It became too much for you so you collapsed," Snape explained.

Harry heard the underlying concern. Grimacing, Harry braced his hands against the couch and pushed himself into a sitting position. All of his energy had been sapped from his body. Harry didn't know if he would be able to trudge up the stairs to the bedroom for the night.

"Did you see anything?" Snape questioned.

Thinking back, Harry shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I just felt this pain, and I was powerless to stop it. How long was I unconscious?"

"Only a few minutes," replied Snape before adding, "my Dark Mark flared briefly around the time that you collapsed."

"What do you think is going on?" Harry reluctantly asked. The last time that his scar had hurt, Voldemort and his followers had been attacking a village.

"I do not know. When you go to bed, I will contact Albus and inform him of what has happened. He may have more information."

Harry slumped back against the couch and closed his eyes. His weary body was demanding rest, but he didn't want to move; however, his professor had other plans. A strong hand grabbed Harry's arm and pulled upwards. Groaning, Harry allowed Snape to stand him up. Before he could even take a step forward, his legs trembled and started to give way.

"No, you don't," Snape griped as he put an arm around Harry's waist and straightened up. "I am not going to carry you to bed, Harry."

"I could just sleep on the couch," Harry replied. They started to move towards the door, and Harry found himself leaning more and more of his weight on his professor with each step.

"Once you are settled in bed, I will bring you a potion that should relieve your pain and weakness."

Harry tried to stop walking as a thought came into his head, but he only managed to stumble forward a step.

"Will I still be able to go with the Order tomorrow?" he anxiously asked.

"We shall see in the morning," Snape answered while continuing to half carry, half drag Harry up the stairs.

"But…" Harry started to argue.

Stopping in the middle of the hallway, Snape ignored the curious eyes that were staring their way. Ron and Hermione had heard voices came upstairs, and they had walked to the doorway, eager to hear Harry's account of the Order meeting. They paused, however, when they saw Snape's serious face.

"If I do not think that you have healed sufficiently enough by the time that we leave tomorrow, then you will not be joining us. We need everyone to be in top shape, and that is my final say in the matter. I will not argue about this with you."

Harry's shoulders slumped in defeat. He couldn't believe that he might not get to go on the Order's mission the next day just because of his stupid scar. It wasn't fair that things had progressed this far and now he might not be involved in the last stages.

"The best thing for you right now is to get some sleep. Weasley, Granger, I do not have time for this."

The sharp words caused Ron and Hermione to scramble out of the way and allow Snape to enter. Hobbling the last few steps, Harry found himself slowly lowered to the bed. When the covers were pulled up to his shoulders, he saw Ron and Hermione gaping out of the corner of his eye. His friends tried to school their features blank, however, when Snape turned around.

Sneering, the professor said, "I'm sure that you have better things to do than to stand around with a stupid expression on your face."

Hermione wasn't intimidated, but Ron's face reddened. Reaching out, Harry grasped Snape's sleeve in his hand.

"The potion," Harry reminded him.

Without another word, Snape strode out of the room. As soon as he was gone, Ron and Hermione swarmed around Harry's bed, quizzical looks on their faces. Hermione gingerly perched on his bedside while Ron stood nearby.

"What happened, Harry?" Ron asked. "We waited for you to come up and tell us what happened at the meeting, but we didn't expect to see Snape dragging you around. You look terrible."

Harry tried to glare in Ron's direction, but he didn't think that his glare was very effective since his eyes still squinted slightly in order to see.

"My scar started hurting after the meeting," Harry explained. "After I passed out, Snape woke me up and brought me up here."

Hermione gasped. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am, or at least I will be. All I want to do now is sleep."

Those seemed to be the magic words as Snape materialized in the darkness of the doorway and came over with a goblet in his hands. Harry took the goblet and made a face as he raised it to his lips and caught the awful smell. Trying to swallow the potion in one gulp without gagging, Harry thrust the goblet back into Snape's hands. When he was finished, he felt Snape push his back against the pillow.

"The potion should work very quickly."

Harry's drooping eyes showed the truth in that statement.

"I shall briefly check on you again in the morning. I have a lot of things that must be done before we leave tomorrow." Turning, Snape added, "Potter is not to be disturbed for the rest of the night. Your insatiable curiosity about the meeting will have to wait until morning."

With a brief glance back at Harry, Snape gently squeezed Harry's shoulder before leaving.

Ron continued to stare towards the door long after Snape had left.

"I know that he doesn't treat Harry like he used to any more, but that was just too strange."

* * *

Waking up in the morning, Harry lazily stretched in the bed before his eyes popped open as the night's events flooded through his mind. The covers were thrown off as Harry quickly got out of bed and got dressed. In no time, he entered the kitchen and was glad to see that Snape was already sitting at the table reading a potion's journal and sipping tea.

Closing the journal, Snape carefully scrutinized Harry as he entered.

"How do you feel this morning?" Snape asked. "Answer truthfully. Tonight is too important for us to worry about you collapsing during the mission."

Harry sat down across from the professor.

"I feel great," Harry answered honestly. "My head doesn't hurt any more, and I don't feel weak or tired. I'm fine."

"I'll be the judge of that," Snape neutrally added as he got up and beckoned Harry to follow him.

Once Harry was settled on the couch, Snape carefully examined him. The professor checked his reflexes, inspected his scar, and studied his eyes. Waving his wand in the air, Snape ran a scan over him. Harry remained still and hoped that the man would be satisfied with everything that he saw.

"I didn't know that you could do that," Harry commented once the scan was over.

"I'm sure there are many things that you don't know about me," Snape absentmindedly replied while finishing his examination.

"Well, everything looks fine," Snape said after a few more minutes. He sternly looked at Harry when Harry jumped up in excitement. "However, I want to know the moment you start to feel worse. I spoke with Albus last night, and he was unaware of anything involving the Dark Lord. We will need to be extra cautious tonight."

"I will. I promise," Harry quickly agreed.

Waving Harry off, Snape added, "Go see your friends for the rest of the day. We will be leaving just after dark. Have your wand on hand and be ready by then."

* * *

"You're so lucky, Harry," Ron enviously said, "to go with the Order on a mission."

After Snape had left, Harry had gone back upstairs to tell Ron and Hermione everything he could about the Order meeting. Since he hadn't been in the meeting very long last night, there wasn't a whole lot to tell them about.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded as she jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Ow!" Bewildered, Ron rubbed at his side. "What? What did I do?"

Huffing in exasperation, Hermione turned sympathetically to Harry. "I know that it's got to be hard to go back there tonight."

"A little," Harry responded, "but I'm also kind of excited. This may be it. We may find it tonight and stop Voldemort for good."

"And you don't know what happened last night with your scar?" Ron asked after letting go of his side and scooting farther away from Hermione.

"No. Snape and I were just talking about the mission, and before I knew it, I passed out."

"Was Voldemort trying to get inside your head, do you think?" Hermione asked seriously.

Harry stopped for a moment to consider. "I guess it's possible. I've never felt that kind of pain in my scar before. Snape started teaching me some more about Occlumency this summer, but even that didn't help last night."

Ron's eyes widened in surprise. "Snape taught you Occlumency? After what happened last year?"

Cheeks reddening slightly at the reminder, Harry defended himself. "I apologized to him several weeks ago, and he forgave me for looking into his Pensieve. He knows how important it is for me to learn this."

"I'm glad that things are working out for the two of you," Hermione said.

"Me too."

Ron broke the silence that had descended on the room. "Why don't we look through the Defense book that Snape got you for your birthday? I glanced at some of the spells last night while you were asleep and they looked pretty interesting."

"Okay," Harry agreed while grabbing the book from the side of his bed and settling it between the three of them.

* * *

"Do you have everything you need?" Snape asked. "Your wand?"

"Yeah," Harry answered as he pulled the wand briefly out of his pocket.

"What about your Invisibility Cloak?"

"Yeah." This time Harry patted his bag slung over his shoulder.

Remus stood nearby, a small smile on his face as he watched the scene. The Potion's Master ignored the other Order members; his whole focus was on Harry.

"When we Apparate near the house, you will stay behind me. Once the area has been deemed safe, then you will follow me into the house. Stay with me the entire time that we are inside."

Harry wanted to point out that Dumbledore had already gone over all of this yesterday, but he kept his mouth shut. He wanted to keep all of his body parts intact. Despite the slight exasperation that he felt, he was touched that Snape was worried about him.

"Everything seems to be ready," Dumbledore's voice carried across the crowded room. "After we get outside, we will all Apparate on my signal."

Waving good bye to Ron and Hermione and getting a tight hug from Mrs. Weasley, Harry followed everyone out the front door. Dumbledore had already put out the lights on the street, so their dark cloaks blended into the night. While waiting for Dumbledore's signal, Harry thought about the plan. The house would be divided among the Order members. Each member would be paired up with someone else. The rooms would be searched twice so that the second team could double check the first team's work. Since Harry didn't know the spells to scan for hidden items, he would be physically searching the rooms.

"Brace yourself," Snape warned as he gripped Harry's elbow.

Harry didn't like to Apparate, but he knew that it was the quickest way to get there. Clutching Snape's robes with one hand, Harry waited. The next second they appeared in Godric's Hollow. Wands at the ready, the Order members formed a loose circle around Harry as they searched the area for any threats.

Shaking off the aftereffects of Apparation, Harry looked around to try and determine where exactly they were. It only took a moment to realize that the house was only a few doors down from where they had appeared.

"You can let go now," Snape dryly said.

Harry looked down and noticed that his hand was still fisted around a handful of Snape's robes. Embarrassed, Harry immediately released the fabric.

"Sorry," Harry muttered.

"The area appears secure," Dumbledore quietly spoke. "Let's get in and out as quickly as we can."

The group headed towards the house. Because of Harry's information, they knew that they could enter through the back door. As soon as they entered the house, everyone split up. Harry wanted to go search his nursery and his parents' bedroom, but Snape had dismissed that idea at the meeting last night. Harry argued that he should be able to search where he wanted to in his own parents' house; however, Snape had thought that it would be best if he and Harry searched more neutral areas of the house. He would have continued arguing, but he was surprised when Remus had backed up Snape. Remus explained that they didn't want to make the trip any harder on him than it had to be.

"Why don't you take that side of the room while I start on this side?" Snape asked, pointing to opposite sides of the living room.

Harry started with the fireplace. Kneeling on the hearth, Harry poked his head partly inside it. His fingers brushed against the sides of the fireplace before lowering his head and carefully backing up. As he stood up, Harry brushed the dust from his knees. Next was the mantle. The stone ledge firmly stuck into the wall after Harry grabbed it and gently tugged it.

Glancing over at Snape, Harry head the man muttering spells quietly under his breath. Each time that the spell ended, the item that Snape was examining would briefly glow red before dying down.

Snape noticed that Harry was looking his way. "If there is something hidden, a white glow will surround the area. When I finish over here, we can switch places."

Walking over to the couch, Harry knelt down and moved the cushions off. A few Knuts lay in the empty area, but Harry didn't find anything else as he moved his hand down the sides. The cushions were soft as he squeezed them before replacing them on the couch. A few sneezes escaped him with the dust that was released from the fabric.

In front of the couch sat a small table. Harry removed the single drawer from the table, and after a cursory glance at the drawer, he peered into the dark hole left behind. Reaching into the empty space, Harry felt around the wood. His fingers gently tapped on the sides and back of the drawer space, but he didn't hear the hollow sound that would accompany a hidden compartment.

Thirty minutes passed before Harry and Snape were satisfied that nothing more could be found in the living room. Leaving the room, they relieved Kingsley and Mr. Weasley who had been searching a guest bedroom down the hall. Once again, Harry took one side of the room and Snape took the other. Mr. Weasley had reported that nothing had been found, but Dumbledore wanted to ensure that no place was overlooked. Harry thought that if anything had been in here that Mr. Weasley or Kingsley would have found it already; however, Harry entered the room and immediately began searching.

Their search didn't turn up anything either. When they had finished, they walked back to the kitchen where everyone else was beginning to congregate.

"Did anyone have any luck?" Dumbledore asked, glancing around at each group.

Everyone shook their heads.

"If it hasn't been found by now, then we have to believe that it is not here," Dumbledore finally said. "It looks like we are now back to square one."

Disappointment filled Harry. He had been so sure that he was right. A strong hand on his shoulder caused Harry to turn to his right. Snape wasn't looking at him, but the professor did squeeze his shoulder, and Harry found himself leaning slightly into the professor's side.

"Tomorrow we will start researching again. We need to try to trace where the necklace may have gone, who its possible owners were. A strong, powerful artifact like this always leaves traces of itself behind."

The group wearily left the house and walked around to the front. Harry was turning back to give the house one more last look, so he wasn't prepared when Snape grabbed his arm tightly and abruptly pulled him to a stop. Startled, Harry turned to see what had happened. The problem was immediately apparent. Death Eaters lined the street with Voldemort casually standing in front.

* * *

A/N: Of course the necklace isn't there. That would be too easy.


	33. Chapter 33

Last chapter:

_Disappointment filled Harry. He had been so sure that he was right. A strong hand on his shoulder caused Harry to turn to his right. Snape wasn't looking at him, but the professor did squeeze his shoulder, and Harry found himself leaning slightly into the professor's side._

"_Tomorrow we will start researching again. We need to try to trace where the necklace may have gone, who its possible owners were. A strong, powerful artifact like this always leaves traces of itself behind."_

_The group wearily left the house and walked around to the front. Harry was turning back to give the house one more last look, so he wasn't prepared when Snape grabbed his arm tightly and abruptly pulled him to a stop. Startled, Harry turned to see what had happened. The problem was immediately apparent. Death Eaters lined the street with Voldemort casually standing in front._

* * *

"I wondered when you would resurface," Voldemort commented. "Everyone has been searching for you."

Finally looking at the other members of the group, Voldemort continued, "I notice that you didn't find it."

"Find what?" Harry automatically asked, trying to sound innocent. "I just wanted to visit my parents' house."

"Oh, Harry. You need to learn how to guard your mind better. Although, I must say that it makes things a lot easier for me. I know that you were looking for the necklace. Just like I have been." Glancing at Snape, he added, "I guess I don't have to ask how you found out about it."

"Don't blame him. I overheard him talking to Professor Dumbledore. Ron, Hermione, and I researched the necklace after that," Harry cockily replied.

"I admit that I was surprised when I found out that not only did you know about the necklace, but that the jewelry had also once belonged to your dear Mudblood mother."

A hand briefly squeezing his wrist in warning stopped Harry from surging forward. The Death Eaters shifted eagerly in anticipation of the coming fight. A satisfied look crossed Voldemort's face knowing how much his comment had affected Harry.

"Well, even without the necklace I can still defeat you…"

"Like you have so many times before?" Harry mockingly said. "I think I was the one who was able to sneak into your house and rescue Professor Snape without any trouble."

The hand on his wrist tightened even more so that Harry tried to stop a grimace from appearing. Sneaking a glance at his professor standing slightly in front of him, Harry noticed the tense body and the narrowed eyes glaring in his direction. Even though he knew that it wasn't the smartest move to taunt Voldemort, Harry couldn't stop himself.

Voldemort's face lost its taunting nature.

"It's time to meet your destiny, Harry Potter."

A jerk of Voldemort's wand was the only warning that the Order had. The Death Eaters surged forward as one. Spells started flying back and forth from both sides. Harry found Snape's body suddenly planted directly in front of him.

"Stay behind me," Snape ordered. "We'll leave as soon as we can."

Harry whipped his wand out of his pocket and clutched it tightly in his hands. He wanted to actively join in the fighting, but he didn't want to disobey the man who was going to become his guardian. He trusted Snape to protect him, so Harry stayed behind the man and occasionally shot out spells when a Death Eater wandered too close.

An arm suddenly slipped around his neck and pulled him backwards. Choking, Harry scrambled to grab the arm and pull it away. A garbled noise rose from his throat as he tried to draw in breath. Harry wished that Snape or another Order member would turn around and notice that he was in trouble, but the night was too loud to hear his struggles.

Harry didn't know how a Death Eater had managed to slip around the Order and sneak up behind him. Spots danced in front of his eyes. Using his last attempt, Harry immediately let his body go limp. Head rolling back and muscles dangling, Harry tried to keep as still as he possibly could. The arm continued to maintain its hold on his throat for another few seconds; Harry didn't know if he would be able to stay conscious for much longer.

Just when he thought that it was hopeless, the arm slightly loosened. With his last burst of energy, Harry threw himself backwards and knocked them both to the ground. The Death Eater was momentarily stunned, and despite his feelings of weakness, Harry used it to his advantage. Harry, butting his head back as hard as he could, heard a loud crunch and felt wetness gush against his hair and skin. A scream quickly followed by a curse came from beneath him. Rolling over, Harry stayed on all fours as he raised his wand and quickly petrified the Death Eater.

Adrenaline flowed through his body, yet Harry took a second to remain on his hands and knees, head hanging down, as he tried to draw deep breaths into his lungs. It hurt to breathe, but Harry didn't think he had ever appreciated his ability to breathe as much as he did now.

"Harry!"

Wearily raising his head, Harry saw Snape finally heading his way. The man must have glanced back to check on him and then found Harry on the ground in pain. Watching Snape running towards him, Harry noticed that the Death Eater had dragged him farther away from Snape than he had realized. Despite the chaos reigning around them, Harry was glad that Snape was coming to help him. A movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention and Harry looked over.

"Look out!" Harry croaked. Snape was too far away to hear Harry's whispered words, but he noticed Harry's widened eyes and pointed finger. Harry could only watch in horror as a jet of light streaked towards Snape and caught the man in the back. The man slammed forward into the ground and didn't move.

"No no no no," Harry moaned as pushed himself up and stumbled forward. Tears streamed unchecked down his face. "Please don't leave me. Not now, not after what we've been through this summer. You can't do this to me."

It seemed to take forever, but Harry finally reached his professor. Stuttering to a halt, Harry fell down beside him. Blood was streaming from a hole in Snape's back. Ripping a piece of Snape's robe off, Harry frantically pushed the cloth across the wound.

"I'm here, Professor. Everything will be okay. I'll get you some help. Don't worry," Harry babbled.

Looking around, Harry wasn't sure if he would be able to keep his promise. All of the Order members were occupied in the fight. Some of them were taking on several Death Eaters at a time. No one seemed to have noticed either Harry's or Snape's problems. Remus and Tonks were standing back to back fighting four Death Eaters at once. Blood ran from a cut above Remus's eye, and the way that Tonks was carefully holding one arm against her side told Harry that it had been broken. Dumbledore was engaging Voldemort in a fight in an effort to keep him away from Harry.

"Please, someone help us," Harry whispered.

Harry didn't know what to do. He kept applying pressure against the hole, but that was all of the help that he could offer. He didn't know any healing spells, he didn't have a portkey or his broom to get them away from the fight.

His bag falling from his shoulder momentarily distracted him. Not really thinking about it, Harry opened the flap and hurriedly dug through the items. His Invisibility Cloak was stuffed inside, but Harry didn't think that it would help him escape from this situation. Even if he could get both Snape and him underneath the cloak, the man was unconscious this time and wouldn't be able to help them escape.

Impatiently shifting aside the cloak, Harry found that he had stuffed some more of Fred and George's inventions inside the bag. Since the inventions had helped him escape from Voldemort last time, Harry had packed some into the bag that morning even though he hadn't thought that they would run into any trouble on the mission.

The Instant Darkness Powder immediately caught his eye. Harry didn't really have a plan for what he would do once he set it off, but he realized that he would worry about that after. Hurling the powder to the ground, the night became even darker. Yells of fury erupted from the Death Eaters as they realized that no spell worked to provide them with light. Harry hoped that one of the Order would remember approximately where he and Snape had been and would try to find a way to them.

Groping in the darkness, Harry pulled Snape so that the man's upper body was partly on him. Harry was scared of what would happen to his professor, and he clutched the body to him as tightly as he could. He hoped that the instant darkness would confuse the Death Eaters enough that the Order members would be able to grab him and Snape and to make a quick escape before Voldemort's followers had time to regroup.

Squeezing his eyes closed, Harry leaned his cheek against his professor's head. He wished that they were anywhere else than here. It had been a stupid idea to come here. The necklace hadn't been found, and Snape might even die. Harry couldn't help the guilt from coming. If he had only been better at Occlumency, Snape wouldn't be in this position. Voldemort wouldn't have known about the Order's plans to search Godric's Hollow. This was the second time that his lack of Occlumency skills had hurt someone that he cared about.

"I wish I could save you," Harry mumbled. "I wish I could take you away from here. You don't deserve to die here tonight because of me. I would do anything I could to help you."

A burst of magic surrounded him, and before Harry knew it, he and Snape landed hard on the ground. Eyes popping open, the first thing that Harry noticed was that the moon's light had reappeared. Believing that the powder had worn off, Harry hurried to get back to his professor before the fighting could begin again. He hadn't even taken a few steps before he faltered and confusedly looked around.

Besides his professor, no one else was in sight: no Death Eaters, no Order members. No loud shouts or bright spells filled the air. Looking around in a daze, Harry realized that Godric's Hollow was no longer there. Instead, he found himself staring straight ahead at his professor's home. He had somehow Apparated the both of them.

Knees buckling at the amount of magic that his body had expended, Harry found himself once again on the ground. He tried to lift his head up to check on Snape, but his body refused to cooperate with him. The darkness that had tried to take him earlier when he was being choked seemed to be descending back upon him.

"No," Harry softly moaned. "I have to…have to…"

* * *

A drop of water falling onto his forehead woke Harry up. Darkness still filled the sky, he lay still a moment, a little disoriented. It took a while for him to remember everything that had happened. Going to Godric's Hollow, the disappointing search, fighting with Death Eaters, and then escaping with a wounded Snape. As soon as his thoughts turned to Snape, Harry gasped and rolled over. This time he was able to raise his head and spot his professor lying still a few feet away.

"Professor Snape!" Harry worriedly called as he crawled over. "Can you hear me?"

Harry's heart sank. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious, but he hoped that the man was okay. Once he reached Snape, Harry was slightly relieved when he saw the slow shallow movements as Snape drew in air. Rubbing his hands over his eyes, Harry let out a shuddered breath. Snape was still alive, so he needed to do everything he could to help.

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to carry the man into the house, Harry withdrew his wand and hovered the body towards the house. He tried to move Snape as gently as he could, and once he reached the man's bedroom, he gently lowered him facedown onto the bed. Harry carefully turned Snape's face to the side so he could breath. Bracing himself, Harry vanished his professor's robe and shirt. The wound looked bad. Blood was still trickling out from the cloth that Harry had pressed against it some time before.

Harry hated to leave his professor alone, but he needed to gather some supplies. Entering the bathroom, he filled a bowl with warm water. After he had carried the bowl with a clean cloth back to the bedroom, Harry headed upstairs. He knew that the house didn't have the correct potions to fully heal Snape, but the man had left a few healing potions in the lab. It didn't take long to locate the vials and to return to Snape's bedside.

Dipping the cloth into the water, Harry started to wash the blood off of Snape's back. A moan from the man startled Harry enough that he dropped the cloth and jumped back.

"Professor?"

One look at Snape's face showed that the man was still out of it. Harry hoped that he wasn't able to feel too much pain. Even though he didn't want to hurt his professor any more, Harry knew that he had to continue. Quickly, Harry finished washing off the blood. He fashioned a makeshift bandage over the wound and hoped that it would work well enough until they could get some help. Harry next tried to turn the professor gently onto his side to prop the man up. The man stirred briefly and grimaced, and Harry was glad when Snape continued to stay unconscious. After feeding the man the potion, he settled Snape back onto the bed and moved to the couch.

With a sigh, Harry dropped his head back. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't make a potion strong enough to help the professor. The last time that they had been here and he had brewed a healing potion, he had looked at some of the more complicated healing potions farther back in the book. Some of them had looked so complex that Harry didn't think that he would ever be able to attempt them.

So, brewing a potion was out.

Hedwig wasn't here, so Harry wouldn't be able to send a letter to anyone for help. His owl was currently staying at Grimmauld Place. If Snape had his own owl, Harry didn't know where the man kept it. The professor only visited this house during the summer, so if he owned an owl, it would probably still be at Hogwarts since Snape hadn't intended to visit the house any time soon.

There wasn't a phone in the house, so he wouldn't be able to call anyone. Snape did have some Muggle things in the house; however, a phone apparently wasn't one of them. Harry couldn't even imagine Snape picking up a phone to dial someone just for a chat.

Harry had seen some Order members use a Patronus to communicate with each other. Even though he could conjure a Patronus, Harry didn't know how to use a one to send or receive messages. Also, he was probably too far away for anyone to get his Patronus.

Harry had Apparated both Snape and himself to the house; however, Harry had no idea how he had been able to do it in the first place. It had probably just been accidental magic, and Harry doubted that he would be able to do it again. If necessary, he would try to Apparate somewhere in the morning, but he didn't hold out too much hope of being successful. Most wizards just managed to splinch themselves by attempting to Apparate without really knowing what they were doing.

At the moment, things looked hopeless. Harry took one last look at Snape before dropping his head into his hands.

* * *

A/N: I'm a sucker for angst. Poor Snape.


	34. Chapter 34

Last chapter:

_Harry had Apparated both Snape and himself to the house; however, Harry had no idea how he had been able to do it in the first place. It had probably just been accidental magic, and Harry doubted that he would be able to do it again. If necessary, he would try to Apparate somewhere in the morning, but he didn't hold out too much hope of being successful. Most wizards just managed to splinch themselves by attempting to Apparate without really knowing what they were doing._

_At the moment, things looked hopeless. Harry took one last look at Snape before dropping his head into his hands._

* * *

A moan caused Harry to spring up from his place on the couch. His neck ached from the position he had slept in, but he ignored the pain as he quickly went over to the bed. Snape was still unconscious; however, the sleep wasn't peaceful. The professor was restless and obviously in pain. When Harry checked the bandage, he saw blood coming through the bandage from Snape's movement. Feeling the professor's reddened cheeks, it became clear that the man also had a fever.

Taking a deep breath, Harry went to the bathroom for some more water and bandages. When he took the old bandage off, the wound was red, but it wasn't bleeding as much as it had been when it first happened. Harry fed the professor another potion even though he knew it wouldn't do a lot of good. He wiped a wet cloth over Snape's skin a few times to try and cool the man down, but the professor only mumbled a few words and stirred restlessly.

Feeling helpless, Harry slowly pulled the covers up and walked back over to the couch. He hoped that Snape would wake up sometime soon. The professor surely would know of some way that he could get help. If they couldn't get help soon, Harry worried that the wound would become infected. He hadn't heard what kind of spell the Death Eater had used, so he wasn't sure how to do much else.

Not able to stand there waiting for much longer, Harry left the bedroom and went outside. Even though he really didn't want to the leave professor alone for long in case something happened, he felt totally useless and just needed to escape the house for a little while. The sun was beginning to come up, and Harry still felt tired, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep now.

Walking over to the tree that he had escaped to earlier in the summer, Harry sat down and leaned against the trunk. His eyes closed wearily, but his thoughts continued to churn in his head. The Order members must be frantic looking for them right now. He wondered what the Order thought about them suddenly disappearing. Did they think that he and Professor Snape had been captured by Death Eaters?

Thinking about their disappearance, his mind came back to the fact that he had Apparated. Since the wards around Snape's house hadn't been activated by the Portkey like it had been last time, anyone would be able to leave or enter the property. Since Snape wasn't well enough to Apparate them like he had last time, Harry wondered if he himself would be strong enough to do it again.

As he took a deep breath to steel his nerves, Harry pushed himself off of the ground. He stood around uncertainly for a few moments before squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his hands into fists by his side. Harry had never heard from anyone before about how to Apparate, so he wasn't sure what to do. It seemed like the best thing to do would be to concentrate on where he wanted to go.

"I wish I was at Hogsmeade," Harry softly muttered. "I want to go to Hogsmeade."

Even though Harry desperately wanted to get help for Snape, a large part of him hoped that his attempt wouldn't work. He was terrified of splinching himself. Despite the fact that he wasn't doing the professor much good right now, he would be even more useless to the man if he managed to lose an arm and a leg between here and Hogsmeade.

Popping one eye cautiously open after a few minutes, Harry realized that he was still standing on the lawn in front of Snape's house. Nothing had happened. And he was okay.

A shaky breath was released. Feelings of failure and relief flowed through him. Deciding that he had been outside long enough, Harry made his way back towards the house. As soon as he entered the door, he heard a loud thud followed by a hiss of pain. Rushing forward, Harry quickly entered the bedroom and ran to the professor's side. The man had apparently attempted to get out of bed and discovered that his body was too weak to hold itself up. Snape was lying on the floor at an awkward angle, while trying to grab onto the nightstand to raise himself back up.

"Sir! You shouldn't be out of bed," Harry said, as he carefully helped Snape stand partially up before hobbling back to the bed. When he had situated the man back onto his stomach, Harry checked the bandage once again. Grimacing, he realized that the wound had reopened.

"I'll be right back, Professor. I just need to get some things for your back."

When Harry tried to turn to leave, a hand shot out and gripped his arm with surprising strength. Stuttering to a sudden halt, he looked questioningly at the professor.

"What happened?" Snape slowly asked.

"A Death Eater shot you in the back with a spell when you were trying to help me. I immediately came over to you, and I somehow managed to Apparate us both here."

"Where…" Snape's voice tapered off as he looked around for the first time and realized where they were.

Looking back at Harry, Snape asked, "My house?"

"Yeah. I don't really know what I did. I just wanted to help you and to get us both away from the battle. I'm just glad that I didn't splinch one of us when it happened."

Snape seemed to pale even more as he realized what had happened. A stern look attempted to cross his face as he threatened, "If you had splinched us, I would have taken your dismembered body parts and used them in a potion which I would have then forced you to drink."

A wide grin split Harry's face. If Snape was capable of threatening him at a time like this, then the man would probably be okay. As long as they got some help soon.

"While you were unconscious, I fed you a few healing potions that were left over from last time, but I knew they wouldn't do much good for your injury…"

He was interrupted by Snape attempting to sit up once more.

"Tell me you didn't try to brew a potion to heal me."

"Since you're injured, I'll overlook the insult," Harry wryly commented. "No, I didn't brew any potions."

Snape settled down at that remark. He shifted to try to get into a more comfortable position. "I didn't mean it like that, Harry. It's just that the potions that I need are very complicated to brew."

Nodding, Harry replied, "I figured that, so I didn't even try."

Since Snape had released his arm, Harry left the room and returned with the necessary supplies to clean and re-bandage the wound. Snape stayed still while he was taking care of everything, but Harry felt uncomfortable when he realized that the man was scrutinizing his every move.

"I know that it's not much," Harry said when he had finished. He busied himself by gathering the supplies and setting them down on the nightstand. Snape stopped him by laying a hand on his arm.

"Thank you, Harry. I know you are doing everything that you can."

Harry gave a small smile in return.

"Usually I'm the one who keeps getting injured all the time," Harry joked, trying to lessen the seriousness in the room. "I guess it was someone else's turn now. This is twice this summer that I've had to take care of you."

"I'm sure you'll be even more insufferable now," Snape griped, although Harry only snickered.

After a moment of silence, Harry cautiously asked, "What do we do now? We can't Apparate, there aren't any owls here or a telephone, and I don't have my broom. You need help."

Harry suddenly leaned forward eagerly. "What about your fireplace? Is it connected to the Floo network?"

"No," Snape answered. "I enjoy my privacy. If I need something, I can Apparate to get it or I can send an owl."

Harry's hope deflated at the response.

"I think that the best thing to do is for you to leave me here…"

"What?" Harry burst in. "I can't do that. What if you need me? You can't even get out of bed. You fell earlier when you tried it. I know that I can't do much but…"

He fell silent when Snape raised his hand.

"Let me finish," Snape reprimanded. "The house is fairly isolated. There aren't any roads that come near the house. The nearest town is about ten miles away. If you walk, you can probably reach town in about three hours. Once you get there, you can summon the Knight Bus and get help."

Even though that was probably their best – and probably only – option, Harry was reluctant to do it. Snape, noticing the hesitation, narrowed his eyes sternly.

"I am still your teacher, and I will soon be your guardian. You need to do this for me, Harry."

Harry felt his resolve crumbling. He knew that he would do it, if only because Snape had asked him to.

"What if I get lost on the way to town? I don't know which way to go, and I would hate to find that I had been wandering in circles."

Exasperated, Snape said, "Aren't you a wizard, Potter? Use your wand. If you have learned the Four-Point spell, then you know that it shows you which way is north."

Slightly embarrassed, Harry defended himself. "I learned the spell during the Triwizard Tournament. It's just that I'm not supposed to use magic during the summer, so I didn't automatically think about using my wand."

Ignoring Harry's embarrassment, Snape continued, "There are a few things that I would like you to do before you leave. I need you to help me to the bathroom right now, and then I would like to eat some breakfast. You can leave some more food and water on the nightstand for me to eat later."

Harry tried to be gentle in helping Snape get out of the bed, and Snape tried to keep his feelings of pain to himself, but they were both aware of how much it hurt. It took a while to get Snape down to the bathroom, and once they were inside, Snape insisted that he could take care of things by himself if Harry would start fixing breakfast.

When Snape finished in the bathroom, Harry helped him back into the bed before giving him some juice and toast. Even though Harry said he wasn't hungry, Snape insisted that he eat some breakfast too. Harry ate a few bites before pushing his plate away from him. He was too nervous to eat a lot of food; he hoped that everything would be okay while he was gone.

Cleaning up the dishes didn't take very long, but Harry found himself dragging out his time at the house. Not only did he bring plenty of food and drinks into the bedroom, he also brought some books in case Snape got bored lying in bed. The professor said that he would probably sleep the whole time that Harry was gone, but since Harry felt like he was abandoning the man, he wanted to do whatever he could to make Snape feel comfortable until he could return.

"Harry," Snape's exasperated voice said. "I think my pillow has been fluffed enough. I will be fine until you come back. It's time for you to go."

"Okay," Harry reluctantly replied. "I'll be back soon. I'll hurry to town as quickly as I can."

"I know that you will, but I want you to rest when you need it. You won't help me or yourself if you fall over from exhaustion or from overheating. Take some food and water in your bag, and be sure to stop several times to rest on the way," Snape lectured.

The man sounded just like his old self that Harry could almost believe that the professor hadn't been injured just a few hours before. Harry rolled his eyes but obediently opened his bag and showed Snape everything inside when the man said that he wanted to see what Harry had packed. Once Snape was satisfied that Harry was ready, he called Harry over to the bed.

"Everything will be okay. I trust you to get help for me."

Harry felt his eyes getting slightly wet, but he pushed back his emotions.

"I promise I'll be back."

"I know."

* * *

The first hour passed pretty quickly. Harry re-adjusted the straps of the bag digging into his shoulder. To keep himself occupied, Harry hummed a few songs as he walked quickly along. There wasn't a lot to see. Every now and then he would see a few birds or rabbits, but otherwise it was a fairly boring walk. Harry was anxious to reach the town and get some help. Snape had told him to head to Hogwarts to find Dumbledore.

There was a narrow overgrown path that Harry was following. Snape had told him that he used to take the path to look for potion's ingredients; however, he hadn't been that way in a while. At the end of the path would be a small stream. Harry planned on stopping at the stream to rest for a few minutes before continuing again.

The sun was beating down overhead, and Harry wiped the sleeve of his shirt across his face. His skin was already turning red and tender, but he didn't have anything to put on it to stop from burning. Squirting some water on his face from his water bottle, Harry kept walking without stopping. From Snape's description, the stream should be appearing soon.

Without warning, Harry's felt his foot sink into a hidden hole and he found himself falling forward. A yelp sprang from his mouth as pain shot up from his ankle. Planting his hands on the ground, Harry pushed up slightly, rolled over, and sat up. Gently rubbing his ankle, he tried to tell if his ankle was broken. Even though it hurt a lot to touch, Harry didn't think that he had broken anything. It just seemed to be sprained.

Looking helplessly around, Harry wasn't sure what he should do. Before he had fallen, he'd still had at least an hour and a half left to walk. With his ankle sprained, it would take much longer than that to reach town. He wouldn't be able to walk as quickly as he had been, and he would have to stop a lot more. His glance fell upon a tree branch lying a few feet away. Scooting over, Harry grabbed the branch and planted one end of it against the ground and pushed himself up, keeping his ankle off of the ground. The branch seemed like it would be sturdy enough to hold his weight.

Gingerly, Harry put his foot against the ground. Sharp pain immediately started through his ankle, but Harry only lifted his foot slightly off of the ground while letting out a curse. He had to make it to the town; there weren't any other options. He was out in the middle of nowhere. No one would have any idea of where to look for him.

Every step was extremely painful, but Harry forced himself to continue hobbling forward. He briefly stopped at the stream to rest and to eat, his body grateful for the short reprieve. Harry took off his shoes and socks and dangled his feet into the cool stream. Massaging his swollen ankle, Harry tried to relieve some of the pain. As he lay back on the ground, Harry just gazed up at the passing clouds. He continued to rest until he felt his eyes start to grow heavy. That was his signal to force his body to get up and continue moving.

The sky was starting to darken when Harry finally reached the town. Leaning wearily against the branch, Harry sighed heavily in relief. In just a few moments, he would be able to reach help and to relax for good. Snape would be able to get healed, and they would be able to move on with their lives together. They still had to figure out where the necklace was, but during Harry's long journey, his determination to find the necklace had solidified. He would do anything he could to stop Voldemort from finding the jewelry first.

Reaching the road, Harry pulled his wand out of his pocket and raised it into the sky. A loud bang announced the arrival of the Knight Bus. Harry threw himself to the side when he realized that the bus might not stop in time to avoid hitting him.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus. We are here to help any stranded witch or…" the voice stopped its announcement when it realized that Harry was struggling to get up. "Harry Potter! What happened? You don't look too good."

Not only was his ankle swollen, his arms and face were red from the sun. His clothes were dirty and his skin was a little scratched from his earlier fall.

"I'll be fine," Harry said. "Just help me into the bus."

With Stan Shunpike's help, Harry was quickly seated on the bus. Leaning back, Harry allowed his body to relax. It had been a long day. He wondered what Snape was thinking. Harry had been gone a lot longer than they had planned on.

"I need to get to Hogwarts as quickly as possible. I need to see Professor Dumbledore."

"Yeah, sure. You'll be our first priority. There aren't many people on here right now anyway," Stan reassured him. Looking again at Harry's injuries, Stan continued. "Everyone has been wondering where you are since you disappeared from your aunt and uncle's house. Is it true about what they did to you?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," Harry firmly answered.

"I understand," Stan quickly said. "I won't say anything to anyone. I never saw you."

"Good. Thank you very much."

Not wanting to talk any more, Harry closed his eyes and turned his head to the side. Stan seemed to take the hint since he stopped talking to him. Even though he hadn't intended to sleep, Harry found himself drifting off. The next thing that he knew, Stan was shaking his shoulder.

"We're here. We're at Hogwarts. Do you need help getting inside?"

"No, I think I can make it. Just help me get off the bus."

Once Harry was standing outside, he pulled out some coins to tip Stan. The man tried to wave off Harry's money, saying that he was only trying to help, but he finally took the money when Harry insisted. Waving at the bus when it took off again, Harry looked at Hogwarts's grounds. The castle seemed so far away. He had never minded the distance before, but with his ankle killing him, he didn't know if he could make it. When Stan had helped him onto the bus, Harry had accidentally forgotten to grab his walking stick. Now, he didn't have anything to help him hobble around. The Forbidden Forest was too far away for him to grab another stick.

By the time that he had reached the castle, Harry collapsed on the front steps. His ankle throbbed. Harry didn't know how he had done it, but he had made it to the castle. It was now completely dark. Harry hoped that the Headmaster was in his office. He didn't want to search Hogwarts all night looking for Dumbledore, especially if the man wasn't even in the castle.

As soon as he entered the front doors, footsteps came towards him. Dumbledore soon appeared and rushed towards him.

"Harry!"

Wavering, Harry couldn't hold himself up any more. He started to fall just as Dumbledore reached him. The Headmaster caught him and gently lowered him to the floor.

"Where have you been? The Order has been looking everywhere for you and Severus."

At that, Dumbledore glanced around.

"Is Severus with you? We were worried when you both disappeared last night without warning."

"Snape needs your help. He was hurt last night by a spell, and he's still bleeding. I didn't want to leave him alone, but I couldn't help him."

"I'm sure you did the right thing, Harry. Where is he?"

"I somehow Apparated us to his house. I was supposed to be back with help several hours ago, but I twisted my ankle."

"I see that."

Levitating Harry's body, Dumbledore started moving them towards the Hospital Wing.

"After we fix your ankle and you get settled into the Infirmary, I will contact Poppy and we will go get Severus."

Harry immediately protested. "I want to go with you. I want to make sure that Snape is okay. He's probably worried about me."

"You have been through quite enough today. You need your rest. I'm sure that Severus is okay."

"But I can rest when I get back. It shouldn't take long to go to Snape's house and to bring him back here."

"Severus would want you to stay here and get better," Dumbledore calmly retorted.

"But he's not here, is he?" Harry crossly answered.

Reaching the Infirmary, Dumbledore gently lowered Harry onto a bed. Harry crossed his arms in front of his chest, stubbornly not ready to give up his argument. After the Headmaster rummaged through the cupboard for a moment, he came back to Harry's side with a vial in his hands.

"Here, Harry. This will make you feel better."

Harry held the vial, but didn't drink it yet.

"Promise me that I will be able to help you bring Professor Snape back."

Patting Harry's shoulder, Dumbledore said, "I promise that you will see Severus soon."

With that, Dumbledore gently encouraged Harry to drink the vial. Too tired to realize the difference in the Headmaster's promise, Harry drank the potion. Not long after, he felt Dumbledore lowering him down on the bed and pulling the covers over him. Glasses were pulled off of his face as his eyes closed.


	35. Chapter 35

Last chapter:

"_Here, Harry. This will make you feel better."_

_Harry held the vial, but didn't drink it yet._

"_Promise me that I will be able to help you bring Professor Snape back."_

_Patting Harry's shoulder, Dumbledore said, "I promise that you will see Severus soon."_

_With that, Dumbledore gently encouraged Harry to drink the vial. Too tired to realize the difference in the Headmaster's promise, Harry drank the potion. Not long after, he felt Dumbledore lowering him down on the bed and pulling the covers over him. Glasses were pulled off of his face as his eyes closed._

* * *

Harry slowly woke up and lazily opened his eyes. He still felt tired, so it took a moment to realize where he was. When it finally hit him, Harry sat up and looked around. Snape was sleeping in the bed next to his. The man was lying on his back, so it appeared that he had been healed when Dumbledore brought him to Hogwarts.

The door creaking open brought Harry's attention to the Headmaster entering with two floating breakfast trays. Dumbledore didn't seem surprised to see Harry awake. He gave Harry a gentle smile as he sat one tray on Harry's lap.

"I'm glad that you're awake. I guess you noticed that Severus has been safely returned."

Harry glared at the Headmaster.

"I wanted to go with you to get him. You promised me that I could."

"Actually," Dumbledore replied, "I only said that you would see him again soon, and so you have."

"I was worried about him. I just wanted to make sure that he was okay," Harry answered, still disgruntled.

Dumbledore's face softened at Harry's admission.

"Severus is going to be fine. You got him help in time. How are you feeling, Harry? You have had a rough time of it too."

Harry took a moment to stop and take inventory. Flexing his foot, Harry found that his ankle no longer hurt. His hands felt around his neck and discovered that his throat wasn't sore any longer from when the Death Eater had choked him.

"I feel much better," Harry said.

"That's good to hear," a croaky voice spoke up.

Harry jumped and accidentally knocked his tray to the floor. Turning quickly, he saw that Snape was beginning to push himself into a sitting position. Harry stepped over the spilled food and walked over to Snape's bedside.

"Professor!"

Relief filled Harry when he saw that Snape was okay. It was one thing to hear it from Dumbledore, but it was completely different thing to actually see Snape sitting up and talking. Snape had been seriously injured the last time that he had seen him.

"I see you made it here okay," Snape said. "What took you so long?"

Guilt started to come upon Harry. He looked away and couldn't meet Snape's eyes.

"I'm sorry," Harry softly replied. "I tried to hurry."

"Harry," Snape interrupted, "I wasn't accusing you of anything. I just wondered if something had happened to you."

Glancing back over, Harry heard the genuine concern in Snape's voice. Harry was vaguely aware of Dumbledore quietly leaving the room and giving them some time alone.

"Did something happen?" Snape asked directly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just sprained my ankle. It wasn't a big deal," Harry shrugged.

"Let me see."

Slightly embarrassed, Harry lifted his pant leg. "There's nothing to see now. It was swollen a little bit, but Professor Dumbledore gave me a potion when I got here. I wanted to come back for you, but his potion put me to sleep."

"Good," Snape responded to Harry's annoyed tone. "You needed to rest. He did the right thing."

Harry was still slightly miffed at the Headmaster, but he knew that he wouldn't get any sympathy from Snape on this.

"Thank you."

Finally, Harry looked over at Snape.

"You don't have to thank me," Harry replied. "I just wanted to get you help so that you would get better."

"I guess Albus also took care of your injuries from the battle," Snape said, slightly questioning.

"Yeah. I'm good."

After a moment of silence, Harry asked, "What happens now?"

"What are you asking about specifically? Are you asking about the necklace, the Dursleys, the guardianship, or something else?"

"Er…all of the above?"

Snape gestured to the new breakfast tray that was sitting on Harry's bed. Dumbledore had cleaned up the mess that Harry had made, and he had gotten him some more food. Walking back over to his bed, Harry began to hungrily eat. He had eaten some food on his journey yesterday, but it seemed like he hadn't gotten enough.

"I need to speak to Albus before any decision is made," Snape answered once he saw Harry beginning to eat.

As if the mention of his name summoned the man, Dumbledore walked back into the room. The man's eyes seemed to assess the situation in the room before a satisfied look crossed his face as he stopped between the two beds.

"Since the two of you seem to be recovering well, I think that we can plan on meeting later today to discuss where we will go from here," Dumbledore said. "I have some work to do this morning, so why don't we meet in my office after lunch?"

Once Harry and Snape had given their consent, Dumbledore left them alone once again.

Looking back over at Snape, Harry was uncomfortable to realize that the man had been watching him.

"So," Harry began, "did anything happen while I was gone?"

Snape shook his head as he settled more comfortably on the bed. "I slept most of the time. I did wake up once and realize that it had gotten dark outside. That was when I became concerned that something might have happened to you."

"No, nothing like that. I just wasn't being careful, I guess."

"That's understandable," Snape immediately interjected. "You had a lot on your mind."

"I just feel like we went through all of that trouble for nothing," Harry dejectedly said. "I was so sure that the necklace would be there, and it wasn't. You were nearly killed, and it was for nothing."

Snape straightened up and swung his legs off of the bed. Watching his professor stand up and come towards him, Harry wanted to protest and tell Snape to go back to his bed; however, he knew that Snape would just ignore him. When Snape reached his bed, the man sat down next to him and grabbed Harry's shoulders firmly.

"We can't give up. The necklace may not have been there, but the Dark Lord certainly believed that it could have been, just like we did. We will just have to keep searching because we know that he won't give up. No one blames you for this Harry, especially me."

Warmth swelled up inside him upon hearing Snape's words. Harry wanted to say something in response, but all of a sudden the stress of the previous day descended on him. Snape, noticing Harry's fatigue, maneuvered him until he was lying back down.

"We'll talk more when you wake up again," Snape promised, cutting off the protest that he knew would be coming.

* * *

After a quick lunch in the Infirmary, Snape and Harry made their way up to the Headmaster's office. It didn't take long for everyone to get settled and for Dumbledore to offer his customary treats. Harry politely took one although Snape's lip curled upward when the tin came in his direction.

"Albus, let's just get down to business."

"Of course, of course."

After shuffling the tin to the side, Dumbledore sat up straight. "Since the necklace wasn't at the Potter house, we don't have any more leads as of right now. We will have to do some more research to see if anything else comes up."

"What happened after we disappeared?" Snape asked, leaning forward in interest.

"It was chaos when everyone realized that you and Harry had vanished. Voldemort immediately called off his Death Eaters, and they all Disapparated. Since neither Harry nor the necklace were there, Voldemort had no reason to stay around. The Order had no idea where to look for you although we did send a few search parties around the area."

Glancing over at Harry, Dumbledore changed the topic. "I do have some news, however. A meeting has been arranged for tomorrow, Harry, for you to meet with a member of the Wizard Family Services."

Uneasiness started to creep into Harry. Even though he had agreed that he was ready to talk to the Ministry about what had happened to him at the Dursleys, he still felt uncomfortable talking about it, especially with a complete stranger. He was just ready for everything to be over.

"What will happen?" Harry finally asked, wanting to be prepared.

"Severus, Minerva, Poppy, and I will be there with you. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley wanted to come; however, I convinced them that it would be easier for you with fewer people around."

"Thank you," Harry said, relieved. He loved the Weasleys, but he didn't want them around when he was talking about his awful past.

"The Ministry official will just ask you a few questions. There are some parts of the interview where you will have to be in the room with just the two of you – so that they can be sure that we aren't influencing your answers – however, we will be nearby."

Harry nodded in understanding. A sudden thought caused Harry to shudder.

"Will I have to see my uncle?"

"No."

Snape's firm answer rang throughout the quiet room.

"We will make sure that you are safe the entire time that you are there. At no point will your uncle be allowed near you," Snape reassured him.

"Your uncle is still being held by the Ministry, and your aunt and cousin are at Privet Drive as I have mentioned previously. After hearing your testimony, the Ministry will decide what to do with your uncle. As for your aunt and cousin, I was recently informed about what has happened with them.

"Your aunt still has custody of Dudley; however, a Muggle social worker will be checking on them periodically over the next year. Your aunt has to take parenting class, and both Petunia and Dudley have to attend weekly counseling. If it is decided at any point in time that your aunt is an unfit parent, Dudley will be taken away from her."

Harry was glad that his aunt and cousin would both have to change their lifestyle if they wanted to stay together. This was something that they definitely needed.

"After they interview me, how long will it be before they make a final decision about whether or not Professor Snape can be my guardian?" Harry asked.

"I believe that it will happen by the next afternoon. Since you are involved, the Ministry wants to speed up the process. They understand the necessity of keeping you safe."

For a brief moment, Harry felt a little dizzy. In two days, a very important decision in his life would be made by a select few people in the Ministry who knew nothing about him. Sure, they knew that he was the Boy-Who-Lived. That his parents died to save him. That he had defeated Voldemort as a baby (and several times since then); however, they didn't know what was best for him. They couldn't know enough about him to make a personal decision like this that would affect the rest of his life.

"Harry."

A hand shaking his shoulder brought him back to the present. Harry looked over and found himself looking into Snape's eyes.

"I'm okay. Everything's just a little overwhelming right now."

"I promise that everything will be okay, Harry," Snape quietly promised.

Harry tried to smile in response, but he wasn't sure that he quite managed.

* * *

Since they would be leaving for the Ministry early the next day, Snape and Dumbledore decided that they would stay at Hogwarts for the night. Harry felt like a bundle of nerves, but he didn't have time to keep thinking about what the next day would hold. No sooner had they left Dumbledore's office than Snape dragged him down to his office. Harry was immediately put to work storing potions ingredients that had been recently delivered to Hogwarts.

McGonagall showed up while Harry was cleaning the storage room. After giving Harry a strong brief squeeze, she requested that he come up to her office when he was finished working in the dungeons. When he arrived in her room, he was ordered to sort and file away the many papers that littered her desk.

Harry was in the middle of that task when Madame Pomfrey showed up and declared that Harry needed to visit the Infirmary as soon as McGonagall was done with him. Even though he protested that he was perfectly fine, Pomfrey insisted that she needed to give him a full check-up. After all, Dumbledore wasn't a qualified Mediwizard.

By the time that he had left the Hospital Wing, it was time for dinner. The five of them sat down in the Great Hall to eat. Harry didn't feel very hungry, but every time that he tried to put his fork down or to excuse himself from the table, Snape would glare in his direction and sternly point a finger at him. When Harry felt that he would be literally sick if he took one more bite, Snape finally took pity on him and let him leave the table.

Harry wanted to be by himself for a while, but everyone else seemed to have different ideas. He was once again sent from person to person all over the castle. Chess with Snape, a walk around the castle with Dumbledore, and an interesting Transfiguration lesson with McGonagall. Harry knew what they were all doing, and he appreciated them for it, even if they some times annoyed him by constantly being around.

"Come on, Harry," Snape finally said.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked tiredly. All he wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep until they left tomorrow. The professors had kept him so busy all afternoon and night that he hadn't had much time to worry about what would happen the next day.

Snape took Harry's elbow and steered him towards the dungeons.

"We are going down to my quarters. I don't know about you, but I've spent enough time in the Hospital Wing."

Harry realized that he hadn't ever seen Snape's quarters before. Taking in his surroundings, Harry paid attention to where they were going. At first, he knew where they were, but soon they turned down a corridor that Harry had never entered before. They stopped in front of a blank patch of wall. Snape muttered the password under his breath, and the wall shifted away to reveal an opening.

Following behind Snape, Harry entered the rooms. He looked around interestedly. Even though he had discovered earlier in the summer that Snape's house wasn't what he would have pictured, Harry still wanted to see what the man's personal quarters at Hogwarts looked like.

Harry wanted to look around the rooms some more, but Snape's hold on his elbow steered Harry into a nearby bedroom.

"Is this your room?" Harry asked, while looking around.

The professor scoffed.

"Of course not."

"Why would you have this bedroom then? Do you normally have guests over?" Harry questioned.

"While you were busy this afternoon with Minerva and Poppy, I was in here getting things together for you. This used to be a storage room."

Taking a closer look, Harry noticed that his trunk was at the foot of the bed. His broom was leaning against the wall, and his book bag was sitting on top of the desk. The room was bare of any decorations, but Harry was still touched that Snape had spent the time converting his storage room into a bedroom for Harry.

"You did this for me?" Harry asked, stunned.

Uncomfortable, Snape shifted slightly. "Well, you needed a place to sleep, and I might be your new guardian this school year."

Harry grinned.

"I know it isn't much," Snape continued. "I didn't want to rummage through your trunk, so you can decorate the room how you want to. Within reason."

"Thank you," Harry replied as he impulsively grabbed Snape in a quick hug.

Snape's arms automatically circled him.

"We probably won't be here for long, so you may want to wait before you unpack anything. After we leave the Ministry tomorrow, I believe we will be going back to Grimmauld Place."

Harry gave the professor a squeeze before pulling back.

"We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Snape said. "I'll leave you alone so that you can go ahead and get ready for bed."

Once Snape had left, Harry sat down on the bed and looked around the room, clutching his pajamas in his lap. Harry had never really had a room that he could call his own, or that he could decorate however he wanted to. His room at the Dursleys had been a cupboard and then Dudley's second bedroom. Also, he had shared his room at Hogwarts with four other boys for the past five years. Now, he had a room that was only his.

* * *

Pulling at his dress robes which were a little too tight, Harry felt a hand grab his and force it away from his collar. He could tell that Snape was getting tired of his fidgeting, so Harry tried to keep his nervous energy as contained as he could.

The five of them were standing in Dumbledore's office waiting to take the Floo to the Ministry. Harry's appearance had been slightly altered so that he hopefully wouldn't be automatically recognized by anyone. Wand tucked into his pocket, Harry was ready to go.

"We will leave soon," Snape exasperatedly repeated for at least the third time.

"I know," Harry answered just like he had the previous times.

They had gone over the plan several times that morning after breakfast. Harry would stay close by until they reached the Wizard Family Services office. Once they got there, the official might meet with all of them together before interviewing Harry alone. While he was being interviewed, McGonagall, Pomfrey, Snape, and Dumbledore would also be giving their testimonies separately to Ministry officials. Afterwards, they would meet together again before they were allowed to leave.

"It is time to go," Dumbledore finally announced.

Harry's head jerked quickly up. This was it. A hand turned his body towards Snape and away from the fireplace.

"Just answer their questions honestly," Snape instructed. "Everything that you tell the official will be kept confidential. The Ministry worker cannot even discuss certain details with us unless you give your express permission."

"I understand."

Swallowing heavily, Harry turned back towards the fireplace. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Pomfrey had all ready gone through the Floo. It was now his turn. Taking a deep breath to try and calm himself down, Harry walked forward into the flames and called out his destination.

* * *

Coming soon: Harry sees someone at the Ministry that makes him remember something very important.


	36. Chapter 36

Last chapter:

_Harry's head jerked quickly up. This was it. A hand turned his body towards Snape and away from the fireplace._

"_Just answer their questions honestly," Snape instructed. "Everything that you tell the official will be kept confidential. The Ministry worker cannot even discuss certain details with us unless you give your express permission."_

"_I understand."_

_Swallowing heavily, Harry turned back towards the fireplace. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Pomfrey had all ready gone through the Floo. It was now his turn. Taking a deep breath to try and calm himself down, Harry walked forward into the flames and called out his destination._

* * *

Leg nervously bouncing up and down, Harry gazed around the empty waiting room. He was sitting on a couch next to Snape, while the rest of their group sat in chairs nearby. Boxes of toys were scattered throughout the room.

They had been escorted into the room ten minutes ago. Harry barely remembered the walk through the Ministry. Noticing that Harry was distracted, Snape had grabbed his elbow and steered him through the crowds of people. Since his appearance was slightly altered, no one had given him a second look. Many people had recognized the professors of Hogwarts, but they weren't too concerned with some random boy traveling with them.

A door opening across the room caused Harry to quickly raise his head. A middle aged woman entered the room and immediately walked towards them. She gave them all a welcoming smile, but her gaze quickly focused on Harry.

"Hello, Mr. Potter. My name is Mrs. Rubens. I'm very pleased to meet you. I know you must be very anxious to get started. Let me tell you what is going to happen."

"Okay," Harry responded.

"I will take you back to my office, and we will have a chat just the two of us. While I am working with you, some of my colleagues will be talking with your professors. We will let you know tomorrow what decision has been made about Professor Snape's guardianship of you. Do you have anymore questions before we go get started?"

"Not right now," Harry answered.

"Just let me know when you do. If you will just follow me, we are ready to begin."

Mrs. Rubens turned around and walked back through the door. Harry started to take a step forward, but he hesitated and looked over at Snape. The professor motioned for Harry to go ahead.

"I will see you soon, Harry. Everything will work out."

A nervous smile crossed Harry's face as he forced himself to follow Mrs. Rubens. They walked down a long corridor before entering her office. Rather than sitting behind her desk, Mrs. Rubens sat in a chair near Harry.

"So, Harry, how are you doing?"

"Fine," Harry briefly answered.

"I hear that you have been spending some time with your friends the last few days. That must be a lot of fun."

"Yeah."

Harry felt awkward making small talk, but he didn't really know what else to say. He knew that she was just trying to calm his nerves before steering the conversation into a more unpleasant direction; however, Harry was just ready to get everything over with.

"Have you received the results of your OWLs yet?"

"No, not yet," Harry replied. When Mrs. Rubens continued to look at him expectantly, Harry continued, "I think I did okay on them. Defense was pretty easy."

"I'm sure you did just fine."

Shifting in his seat, Harry absentmindedly pulled his dress robes away from his neck. The Ministry worker, sensing his restlessness, straightened in her seat and pulled some papers in front of her. Settling her glasses more firmly on her nose, she glanced down at the papers.

"I see that you previously lived with your relatives the Dursleys, but you have been recently removed from their home. Since then, you have been under the care of Professor Severus Snape."

After looking at Harry and seeing him nod in agreement, she continued.

"Professor Snape came to the Ministry about a month ago and informed Wizard Family Services about the circumstances of your removal from the home. He has since requested to take guardianship of you. Today, I just want to talk with you to find out more about what has happened and to ensure that nothing like that ever happens again."

Still not sure if he would be able to speak, Harry just jerked his head in response.

Mrs. Rubens's eyes softened as she took off her glasses and turned so that her full attention was on Harry.

"I know that this is difficult to talk about, but we only want to help you. Please tell me what your life was like growing up."

Opening his mouth, Harry only heard a croak emerge. Without a word, Mrs. Rubens conjured up a glass of water, and Harry gratefully took a gulp. After several big swallows, Harry lowered the glass but kept it clenched in his hands.

"My aunt mostly ignored me when she could. If she wasn't ignoring me, she was ordering me around and telling me what chores needed to be done. I did most all the housework and yard work."

"And your cousin, Dudley?"

Harry snorted. "Dudley never did anything around the house. My aunt and uncle spoiled him, and he got away with pretty much anything. He was the neighborhood bully, and all the kids at school were terrified of him."

"What about your uncle?"

"Growing up, he would just yell at me and insult me. The only time he ever really laid a hand on me was to throw me in the cupboard under the stairs or maybe to shake me if I did something he didn't like. He only started hitting me this summer."

Harry's voice trailed off at the end, and his eyes shifted away.

"Professor Snape was the one who found out?"

"Yeah. He realized what was happening and he took me away from there."

"How do you feel about him becoming your guardian?"

Giving his first real smile of the day, Harry felt more confident.

"When he first asked me, I was surprised; however, he told me to take some time to think about it, and I realized that I didn't want anyone else to do it. You may not know this, but he and I haven't always gotten along. He hated my father when they went to school together, and he hated me when I first started at Hogwarts. I think he really started to change his mind though when he saw what my life was really like with my relatives."

Harry tried to downplay the way that Snape used to treat him. He hoped that she wouldn't want him to go into details about the way his professor used to constantly berate and insult him. Even though the man didn't do those things any more, Harry didn't want her to deny the guardianship because of their rocky past.

"How are things between you now?"

"Much better. I never used to have an adult that I could really talk to, but now I feel like I can go to him for anything. He listens to me and gives me advice when I need it."

The rest of the interview went a lot smoother than Harry had thought it would. He found himself relaxing as the time went on. Mrs. Rubens realized when Harry was getting uncomfortable, but she didn't force him to talk about anything until he was ready. It was a surprise when she stood up and said that the interview was over. Looking at the clock, Harry couldn't believe that it had been two hours.

Standing up, Harry followed her back down the corridor. Everyone was already done with their interviews, and they were sitting around waiting for him. Snape immediately stood up as Harry walked towards him.

"How did it go?" Snape asked, carefully watching Harry's face.

"Not too bad," Harry honestly replied.

Mrs. Rubens patiently waited while Snape ensured that Harry wasn't too stressed out by the whole experience. When they turned back to her, she smiled reassuringly.

"You should receive our owl with our final decision soon. Since we are finished interviewing everyone necessary, we will all meet together later today to determine what would be the best placement for you. Even though I can't say anything officially, Mr. Potter, I do think that things will work out just fine."

Harry released a sigh of relief. He knew that things wouldn't be official until they received all of the paperwork tomorrow, but it was great to know that at least one person was on his side and was confident that everything would be okay.

Walking back to the elevators, Harry remained silent even though the others were making casual conversation. Harry's glamour still held, so no one in the hallway recognized him – just the way he liked it. The elevator had a few people on it when they entered. As the elevator stopped its descent and let a woman off, Harry looked around bored. While he watched the witches and wizards hurry around the area on that level, his eyes widened in shock when he saw one person that he recognized.

His aunt was seated on a bench across the room, her hair slightly disheveled, and a guard standing next to her. Harry's eyes flitted back and forth and his heart rate increased as he attempted to discover if his uncle was nearby. When Harry realized that his aunt was alone, he got a nagging feeling that he was forgetting something important. Narrowing his eyes and gazing intensely at his aunt, Harry tried to remember. Phrases started popping into his head.

_Mum told me several times that I could get the necklace when I was older._

_She had never really shown any interest in the necklace until she found out that it was the one thing that I wanted._

_She wanted to take the jewelry away from me._

Harry gasped in realization. Those words were from his mother's diary that he had found at Godric's Hollow. His mum was talking about the necklace that she had inherited, the necklace that Harry believed Voldemort was searching for. If the necklaces were indeed that same, then it was possible that his aunt, in a fit of jealousy, had stolen the necklace. He had to find out.

The elevators doors were nearly closed when Harry darted through them. A shout from behind him told him to stop, but Harry was only focused on one thing. People jumped out of his way as he charged across the room. Some stopped to gape as he darted through the mass of people; however, Harry continued forward. His aunt was scrambling to back away, but she was trapped between the wall and the guard.

Reaching his aunt, Harry grasped her shoulders firmly.

"Where is it? What did you do with it?" Harry demanded.

"W-w-what?" Petunia stammered.

The guard drew his wand and pointed it in Harry's direction.

"You need to let go of her now," the guard warned.

Strong hands started pulling Harry away. Struggling, Harry tried to maintain his grip, but the person behind him would not stop. Firmly, he was turned around and saw anger battling with concern on his professor's face.

"Harry, I know that you are upset with her, but this is not the time or place…"

Snape was cut off as Harry vehemently broke in.

"The necklace. I think that…"

The hands on his shoulders tightened and shook him hard, and Harry slowly realized that he was causing a big scene in the middle of the Ministry. Glancing around, he saw the curious stares as people wondered who he was and why he was attacking a Muggle.

Slumping against the hands holding him, Harry looked pleadingly into Snape's eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I need to speak to her. It's important."

After staring intensely into Harry's eyes for a moment, Snape abruptly nodded once. Turning to the guard, who still had his wand trained on the pair, Snape strode over and whispered something in the guard's ear. Whatever the professor said must have worked because the guard grabbed Petunia's arm, turned to the group around Harry, and said to follow him.

After walking for a minute, Harry found himself in a private room. His aunt shakily made her way to a seat away from the wizards surrounding her.

"Thank you very much for giving us a room to speak to Mrs. Dursley," Dumbledore said. "We only need a minute of her time. If you could just wait outside, we would very much appreciate it."

The guard immediately shook his head. "I have been given orders to stay with Mrs. Dursley and that is what I must do, especially after she was nearly attacked by him."

The guard jerked his chin in Harry's direction.

"I'm sure that it was all just a misunderstanding," Dumbledore replied. "I promise that she is safe and that no one will harm her."

Harry wasn't sure if Dumbledore put some kind of spell on the guard, but the guard grudgingly left the room. Once he had gone, all eyes turned to Harry.

"What happened out there?" Snape demanded.

Harry looked back and forth between his aunt and his professor. In the end, Harry decided to show Snape what he had found out. Taking a few steps towards his aunt, Harry was vaguely aware of everyone else watching his every move in case he should rush at her again. As he stopped a few yards away, Harry saw her flinch.

"Who are you?" Petunia asked, trying not to appear nervous.

"It's Harry."

"You!"

Petunia straightened up and glared at her nephew. Gripping the armrests, she leaned forward, and spat out, "What do you want? You've already ruined our family enough, but you still can't leave us alone."

Harry heard someone curse behind him, but he ignored everything else but his aunt.

"My mother inherited a necklace from her mother."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he saw recognition light up his aunt's eyes even though she tried to keep her face expressionless.

"You stole it from her, didn't you?"

There was the slightest hesitation before his aunt haughtily replied, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Trying to calm himself down, Harry took a deep breath. Taking another step forward, Harry gripped his wand in his hand without taking it out of his pocket. A flicker of uneasiness crossed his aunt's face, but she stubbornly sat there silently.

"I think you do know what I'm talking about. I found my mother's diary, and she said that you wanted the necklace even though my mother inherited it. That necklace is very important and I need to find it. Where is it?"

Petunia's lips parted slightly, but before she could utter a word, Snape stepped up and stood next to Harry.

"Before you spout another lie, I would strongly urge you to re-think your answer. I am a Potion's Master, and I know several potions that would cause you to spill even your deepest, darkest secrets. After all, I once worked for the Dark Lord."

Coloring rapidly leaving her face, Petunia stared in shock. Leaning backwards, she tried to get as far away as she could.

"Yes, yes, I took it. Okay? She didn't deserve to have it. It should have been mine."

"Where is it?" Harry repeated.

Loathing filled her face as she turned back to Harry. Even though he was glad that he had left the Dursleys, a twinge of sadness filled him that his mother's family hated him this much.

As if sensing Harry's emotions, Snape stood in front of him and blocked his aunt's view.

"Where. Is. It?" Snape harshly demanded through clenched teeth.

"In the attic," Petunia quickly blurted out. "It's in the attic. Please, just take it and leave me alone."

Satisfied that they got the answer they were looking for, Harry backed away. He stopped though when he saw Snape lean towards his aunt and whisper something in her ear. Harry couldn't hear what his professor said, but is made his aunt pale even farther as she shrank down in her seat.

A content smirk crossed Snape's face as he stood up and stalked toward the door. Harry scrambled to catch up to him as the professor quickly exited the room.

"We are done here," Snape casually informed the guard while continuing to walk towards the elevators.

When they entered the elevators, they were the only ones inside. The elevator once again began to descend, and Harry turned to look at Snape, an amazed look on his face.

"That was brilliant," Harry said beaming. "What did you say to her at the end?"

"I just told her what would happen if I ever saw her near you again. Let's just say that I don't think she wants that to happen any time soon."

Harry relaxed against the elevator walls. Even though he had been extremely nervous to come to the Ministry, everything had turned out wonderfully. Not only was he probably going to get Snape as his guardian, but they had also found out where the necklace was located. Now, they only had to make sure that they got there before Voldemort.

Looking over at Snape, Harry felt more content than he had in a while.

"Thank you," Harry quietly said.

A warm feeling spread through him when Snape nodded understandingly and gently squeezed the back of his neck.


	37. Chapter 37

Last chapter:

_Color rapidly leaving her face, Petunia stared in shock. Leaning backwards, she tried to get as far away as she could._

"_Yes, yes, I took it. Okay? She didn't deserve to have it. It should have been mine."_

"_Where is it?" Harry repeated._

_Loathing filled her face as she turned back to Harry. Even though he was glad that he had left the Dursleys, a twinge of sadness filled him that his mother's family hated him this much._

_As if sensing Harry's emotions, Snape stood in front of him and blocked his aunt's view. _

"_Where. Is. It?" Snape harshly demanded through clenched teeth._

"_In the attic," Petunia quickly blurted out. "It's in the attic. Please, just take it and leave me alone."_

* * *

The trip back to Grimmauld Place seemed to take a long time. Harry was impatient to reach the house so that they could go to Privet Drive as soon as possible. Dumbledore told them that he wanted to call a quick Order meeting before they made any kind of decision. Even though Harry understood his reasoning (after all, they had been attacked the last time that they had searched for the necklace at his parents' house), he didn't want to waste any more time.

As soon as they entered Grimmauld Place, Harry was accosted by his friends. Hermione grabbed him in a strangling grip, while Ron stood nearby grinning widely.

"We're so glad that you're okay," Hermione gushed. "When we heard that you and Professor Snape had disappeared from Godric's Hollow and that no one knew where you were…"

Hermione trailed off as Harry gently pushed her back. Looking around, Harry noticed that the three of them were the only ones still standing in the hall. The others must have understood that they would need some time alone.

"I have so much to tell you guys, but it will have to wait until later. The most important thing is that we know where the necklace is. It's at my aunt and uncle's house."

Ron's mouth dropped open while Hermione's eyes got bigger.

"What…how…" Ron stammered.

"It doesn't matter right now how I found out. I expect that we'll leave soon to get it. We're so close," Harry excitedly responded.

"Well, what are we standing around here for?" Ron asked. "Let's see what's going on."

Scrambling down the hall, they quickly found a room packed with Order members. Most everyone was looking around, curious about why they had been called together on such short notice, hoping that it wasn't bad news. Apparently when Dumbledore and Snape had called everyone together, they had kept the discovery a secret.

Not wanting to call attention to themselves, Harry, Ron, and Hermione snuck into the room and took a seat near the back. The low buzz of conversation died down when Dumbledore appeared and made his way to the front of the room.

"Thank you all for coming so quickly. We are very grateful that Severus and Harry are safe and sound after the recent ambush at Godric's Hollow."

Hearing his name mentioned, Harry tried to unobtrusively slide down farther in his seat. He didn't know whether or not he, Ron, and Hermione would be removed from the meeting if anyone noticed that they were there, but he didn't want to take any chances.

"As you know, we were searching for a necklace that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin. This is the same necklace that Voldemort himself has also been looking for. Just today, we have learned the true location of the necklace."

Shocked whispers broke out in the room upon hearing the Headmaster's statement. Patiently, Dumbledore waited until the voices stopped.

"The necklace once belonged to Lily Potter; however, her sister Petunia Dursley is the one who currently possesses the necklace."

Not stopping to allow any questions, Dumbledore continued.

"Vernon Dursley is still being held by the Ministry. Petunia Dursley was at the Ministry today for further questioning. Dudley Dursley is currently staying a few days with a friend. Now is the best time for us to go to Privet Drive and retrieve the necklace. Petunia has informed us that it is being kept in the attic."

A voice interrupted. "What do you want us to do, Albus?"

"Since we were unexpectedly attacked last time, we will be taking more precautions. We will take more Order members with us, and we will leave as soon as the meeting is over. Everyone needs to take extreme caution."

The meeting didn't take much longer as a few more details were hammered out. Ron and Hermione knew that they probably wouldn't be allowed to go, but they were willing to plead their case as Order members filed out of the room to start getting things ready.

Getting up, Harry marched over to Dumbledore who was talking to the Weasleys and to Snape. The talking paused when they noticed that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were standing nearby.

"I know what you are going to ask," Snape drawled before Harry could even speak.

"And?" Harry asked.

"It's not up to me," Snape replied.

In expectation, Harry looked over at the Headmaster and the Weasleys. Mrs. Weasley started to shake her head, but Ron immediately spoke out.

"We already know where the necklace is, so it shouldn't be too hard to find. Harry, Hermione, and I can look for it while the Order watches the house."

"You Know Who has already attacked once. What's to say that he won't attack again?" Mrs. Weasley argued.

"How could he have found out?" Ron asked. "It's just a coincidence that Harry found out today. Besides, Hermione and I helped discover exactly what the necklace was and why You Know Who wanted to find it."

While Ron and his mother continued to argue over whether or not he and Hermione should be allowed to go, Snape drew Harry to the side.

"Will you be okay going back to your aunt and uncle's house? I know that they aren't there right now, but I don't want it to bring back bad memories for you."

Taking a deep breath, Harry said, "I'll be fine. We shouldn't be there too long. I just want to find it and get it over with."

"I know I said it last time, but I'll say it again. Stay close to me. Keep your wand ready. We'll be watching the house, but you need to stay vigilant also."

"I will," Harry solemnly responded.

Lightening the tone, Snape asked, "Have you been in your relative's attic before? Do you have any idea where the necklace might be?"

Tilting his head, brow scrunching up, Harry thought back.

"It's been a while. I never had much of a reason to go up there. Most of the cleaning that I did was around the house or outside of the house."

"What do you remember about the attic?"

"There are several boxes up there. It probably won't take long to search them. From what I remember, the boxes aren't labeled, though, so we'll have to look through all of them."

Satisfied that he had gotten all that he could, Snape left the room to make his own preparations. Looking over, Harry saw that Mrs. Weasley was still in deep conversation with Ron; however, Hermione – noticing that Harry was watching – walked over.

"Professor Dumbledore has agreed that we can come. It took a while for Mrs. Weasley to agree to it, but Mr. Weasley was able to calm her down enough that she finally said that Ron could go."

"What are they talking about now?" Harry asked.

"Mrs. Weasley is giving Ron all kinds of rules to follow and threats if he doesn't follow them."

As he watched, Harry noticed Ron nod every few seconds. Harry couldn't hear what Mrs. Weasley was saying, but he decided to make himself scarce in case she noticed him standing there and dragged him into the conversation too.

Within twenty minutes, everyone was gathered in the front hall. Harry once again clutched Snape's robes as they Disapparated and then reappeared a few houses down from his aunt and uncle's. The Order members immediately spread out, heads swiveling back and forth, wands discreetly held up their sleeves in case any Muggles wandered by.

As this was going on, Harry continued to stare at the house. It had been over a month since he had been inside the house. Even though he knew that it would bring up bad memories as soon as he stepped inside, Harry was determined to finish what he had started.

They were at the end of the driveway when the house suddenly exploded. Harry would have continued standing in place shocked if he hadn't been knocked down to the ground by Snape shielding him with his body. Lying on the ground underneath his professor, Harry moaned as he slowly turned his head and watched the smoke fill the sky above the house. Flames shot out of the windows and intense heat surrounded the area. Debris rained down as the Order members gradually began to rise from the ground.

"Are you alright?" Snape demanded, as he firmly grabbed Harry and turned him over.

Glancing down at himself, Harry noticed a few cuts and scrapes but nothing that seemed too serious.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What about you?" Harry worriedly asked. Snape had been on top of him, so he had probably gotten the worst of the blast.

"I'll survive," Snape grimly replied just as Harry noticed a piece of glass sticking out of the man's arm.

"Your arm…" Harry started before being interrupted.

"I'm fine, Harry. We need to check on the others and then get out of here immediately."

Before they could do anything more, Harry noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. The front door was missing from the house, so it wasn't difficult to see the dark figure materialize in the doorway. Shocked, Harry saw that Voldemort had the necklace prominently displayed on the outside of his robes. Death Eaters began to appear around the Order members who were stiffly pushing themselves up from the ground and surveying each other for injuries.

"You're too late, Harry. It appears that I have won."

Not wanting to appear weak, Harry retorted, "How did you know it was here?"

Voldemort slowly came down the walkway. Stiffening at the approaching figure, Snape positioned himself slightly in front of Harry, one hand clutching his wand while the other was wrapped around his injury trying to keep the glass in place.

Stopping a few feet away, Voldemort smirked.

"How touching, Severus, but it won't do you any good. In answer to your question, Harry, it wasn't too hard to figure out where else the necklace could be once I knew that your mother had owned it."

"My aunt hated my mother," Harry said, desperate to keep Voldemort talking. "Why would you think that my aunt would have it? I didn't even know until I happened to see my aunt today at the Ministry."

"Process of elimination. I figured that other than Godric's Hollow, you must have already checked Gringotts. This seemed like the only other place that it might have ended up."

The Order members were standing back to back as the Death Eaters created a ring around them. In the distance, Harry could hear the sirens approaching. He figured that they didn't have much more time before people starting appearing, wanting to know what had happened. A few curious neighbors had already stuck their heads out of their door only to duck back in when they saw what appeared to be a dangerous and deadly situation (despite not knowing who Voldemort or the Death Eaters were).

"And so it ends, Harry Potter. I have waited many years for this moment. I may not have been able to kill you before, but now I am stronger than ever."

As Harry stood there, he glanced around. These people had defended him and stood by him. They were willing to protect him and to do whatever it took to keep him safe, but it didn't matter anymore. They were all going to die and Voldemort would never stop. Harry felt like they had failed.

Slashing his wand to the side, Voldemort threw Snape away from Harry. The professor yelled as he landed on his arm, pushing the glass further into the wound; however, he immediately struggled to get back up. Harry wanted to go over to the man and help him, but his eyes were caught on the necklace as light gleamed off of the emeralds.

Staring at the necklace, a piece of the legend sprang to his mind. Dimly aware that Voldemort was once again raising the wand in his direction, Harry focused all of his attention on the necklace as he yelled out.

"_In the name of Salazar Slytherin, I release you from the necklace."_

Even as he said it, Harry wasn't sure that it would work. From the startled looks that everyone was giving him, he knew that he had been speaking Parseltongue. Realizing what Harry was attempting, Voldemort's Cruciatus Curse came quickly. Harry didn't have enough time to move out of the way, and the curse caused him to fall to the ground. Opening his mouth, Harry screamed in agony at the white hot pain that lanced through his body. Harry writhed on the ground partially aware of his friends yelling out for Voldemort to stop.

When the pain abruptly ended, the sudden silence around him caused Harry to wearily raise his head. As he watched, a white mist emerged from the necklace. The mist started to coalesce into the shape of a woman who floated in the air and surveyed everything that was going on.

Everyone had frozen in place not knowing what to do. This was Ophelia, Salazar Slytherin's fiancée. The woman who Slytherin had trapped inside of the necklace after discovering that she was having an affair. The woman who could only be released from the necklace by another Parselmouth.

Snapping out of his trance, Voldemort turned enraged eyes toward Harry. As he raised his wand again to form the Killing Curse, Harry was surprised when Hermione's voice rang out.

"Help us, please. He's a descendant of the one who trapped you in the necklace."

The woman had turned curious eyes when Hermione started speaking. At Hermione's words, the woman's face started to transform. Rage descended upon her. Power coursed visibly through her body. Voldemort hesitated when he realized that the spirit had turned her attention back to him.

Encouraged, Hermione continued. "He's trying to kill us. He's killed lots of people. We're trying to stop him, but we need your…"

A streak of light suddenly shot towards Hermione. Ron yelled out when Hermione crumpled to the ground and didn't move. Struggling to his feet, Harry tried to make his way over to his friend. Before he could move too far, a strangled sound reached his ears.

The woman had transformed back into a cloud of mist and was encircling Voldemort. As Harry watched, the mist became brighter and sparks of power appeared. The cloud swirled around and around until Voldemort wasn't visible anymore, although he could clearly be heard choking out.

Everyone stood still, mesmerized by what was happening before them. When the mist suddenly disappeared, Voldemort's body fell lifelessly to the ground. The silence continued for a few seconds longer before the Order members recovered and began fighting the Death Eaters. Harry noticed the Muggles who had come to investigate the explosion diving for cover. Policemen were drawing their guns as they crouched behind cars, unsure who to aim at.

As the fighting continued, pops filled the air as robed figures Apparated onto the street. It only took a moment for Harry to recognize them as Aurors. They must have heard about the disturbance and come to investigate. The Death Eaters were quickly rounded up and taken away. Several Ministry officials stayed behind to deal with the Muggles who needed to be Obliviated.

With the Death Eaters taken care of, Harry immediately rushed over to Snape. The man had gotten up from the ground, but his arm dangled uselessly by his side. Snape's face had turned even whiter as blood continued to flow down his arm from the cut. The glass was even further embedded, and Harry felt helpless not knowing what to do.

"Are you okay? We need to get you some help. Here, put your arm over my shoulder," Harry said as he gently helped support his professor. "We need to get you out of here. I'll find someone that can Apparate you somewhere."

"Thank you, Harry," Snape exhaustively replied. "I don't think I can stand here much longer."

While he frantically scanned the area to find someone to help them, he noticed that Ron was sitting on the ground with Hermione lying against him. Even though Hermione wasn't moving, her eyes were open and she was answering all of Ron's questions. Harry didn't know what spell she had been hit with, but it looked like she would be fine.

"Harry, Severus! Are you okay?"

Harry was relieved when Remus weaved his way over to them.

"I'm fine," Harry responded, "but Professor Snape needs help."

Quickly assessing the situation, Remus said, "Severus, I'll take you to Hogwarts. Madame Pomfrey is ready and waiting to help with any wounded that we have. As soon as I get you settled, I will return for Harry."

Anxiously, Harry let Remus take his place underneath Snape's arm. He wished that he knew how to Apparate so that he could follow them to Hogwarts and not have to wait for Remus to come back for him. He knew that Remus would come back as quickly as possible, but Harry didn't want to wait.

Despite the pain, Snape noticed Harry's nerves and stopped Remus from Disapparating. Since he was unable to touch Harry reassuringly, Snape could only stare into Harry's eyes and firmly say, "Everything will be okay. Madame Pomfrey will take good care of me, and I will see you soon."

Realizing that Snape wouldn't last much longer, Remus gave Harry a small smile before Disapparating. Harry knew that the wound wasn't as bad as it could have been, but he wouldn't feel completely better until Snape was fully recovered.

Not sure what to do with himself, Harry wandered over to the body. Voldemort was lying on the ground, and Harry had a hard time believing that it was really over. Somehow Ophelia's spirit had managed to defeat the most evil wizard of their time. Harry wondered what had happened to her. He hoped that she was finally at peace now that she was no longer trapped inside of the necklace.

"Harry?"

Blinking out of his daze, Harry noticed that Remus was standing next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and looking concernedly at him.

"It's over, Remus. It's really over."

Glancing down at the body, Remus gently squeezed Harry's shoulder.

"Yes, it is."

They stayed silently standing for a while longer. No one bothered them for which Harry was extremely grateful. Harry's parents had been murdered by this monster, Remus's best friends had been taken away from him, Sirius's life had been destroyed. Now, they would finally be able to move on with their lives.

"Are you ready to go?" Remus finally asked, looking closely at Harry's face. "Severus nearly threw me out of the Infirmary as soon as we arrived. He insisted that I hurry back to get you."

Harry gave a short laugh.

"Yeah, let's go."


End file.
